Too Late
by Kaline Reine
Summary: Kaline is a troubled girl with a difficult past. When she meets that special person that is able to touch her heart, will it change things? Or is she destined for a certain fate? If any of it even worth it? Watch as she finds out.
1. Chapter 1

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character. **

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 1:**

There was a time when she was innocent... Before all the blood, killing, and gore happened...

Kaline closed her eyes, and lay back in the soothing warm water of her bath, as she reminisced. Smiling to herself, she could remember being happy once. And only once. She was a little girl, staying with her grandmother. Thelma, that was her name... The woman was very protective of her, even if her parents weren't.

But they pretended. Actually she couldn't find a way to be happy, since deep down she knew that her childhood had all been play pretend. Like it was a game to them.

Now her lightly freckled face was frowning, while she thought back on it. The water swished through her long brown hair, as she lay back in the water.

_'My parents... Did they ever really love me?'_ She just wanted to know. But at the same time, she didn't want to know. _'Sometimes a lie is better.'_

They had been a happy family once, she supposed. It was a nice thought anyway. She remembered the day of the divorce, and how her grandmother had been the only one to comfort her. She was the only one who ever bothered to consider the girl's feelings. Kaline still remembered everything. How she'd cried her eyes out because she was upset, and didn't know how to handle it. How they never even made an effort to talk to her about it. And she was only Seven then.

Lewanne, her mother... The woman she was forced to live with now, had spoken briefly with her, when she protested their separation.

"Would you rather I stay with your Dad, and make you happy?" She'd remarked with scorn, making Kaline feel so small. She wanted to say yes to her mother. But she didn't. She waited, knowing something else was coming. "Or would you want me to not be with him, so I could be happy?"

Kaline thought for a moment, remembering her grandmother's words of wisdom.

_'If you love someone... You want them to be happy, no matter what happens to you. Think of it as a... self-sacrifice. You will want what's better for them.'_

And years earlier, when Kaline had a beautiful moth that she was keeping as a pet... It got sick from living a life indoors, with no sun. '...If you love something... Let it go.' Kaline knew that she had to let it go. It was better for it to live it's life without her, than to die because of being with her. Even at Four years old, she understood this. Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother knocking on the bathroom door. Even with her head halfway submerged, her hair floating in delicate soft tendrils all around her, she had heard it.

"Kaline, you're gonna be late for work!"

"Yeah, I'm almost done," She lied. "Sorry."

Kaline hated her job. Her mother was friends with someone who owned a restaurant, and she was being made to work there. Lewanne had convinced the woman to hire her, despite the fact that she was only Thirteen. So she took her time with her bath.

Once she was done, she got dressed as slowly as she could, but still made a half-assed attempt to make it look like she was hurrying.

"I'm ready," She went into the living room, after putting on her uniform, tying her hair in a ponytail, and grabbing her nametag.

"Don't look at me," Lewanne had just got home. She sat down on the couch, and started watching TV. "You've got two legs."

"But I'll be la-"

"I don't give a damn!"

"...Alright." Kaline said softly, heading out the door.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Her day at work was not much better than her life at home. But at least when no one was looking, she could grab a french fry or two to eat, or a biscuit at least.

She knew better than to take food home with her, though. The last time she did that, Lewanne had flipped out. She knew they would take the meal out of Kaline's pay, and she had thrown her dinner in the trash. There was never any food in the house, purposely, so Kaline was left to starve.

"You're fat," Her mother would say. "And lazy too!"

At the end of the day, her legs hurt from running around getting customer's orders, her feet hurt from standing all day, and her back hurt from lifting heavy things, and from bending over to wash all the tables and clean the floor. The manager didn't like her. And one day she overheard her mother asking the lady to make sure she gave her all the hard stuff to do. They often harassed her about things, too.

"I'm home..." She said very softly, hoping that no one was awake when she got home from work.

"Where have you been?" Her stepfather demanded. His name was Don, and he wasn't exactly nice to her. Most of the time he sided with her Mom, which wasn't good. "You have chores to do!"

Normally she would say something like "Look what time it is!" or "I just got off work!" but she was too tired to even argue... Besides, she knew it would be pointless.

She still had homework to do, too. But she sighed, and immediately started boiling some water. It was her job to cook for the dogs. All they would eat is plain boiled chicken. If they caught Kaline stealing a piece, she would be in trouble. She cooked for them anyway, and she never took it out on their dogs, since it wasn't the animal's fault.

Once that was done, she went outside to the laundry room. There was a huge pile of clothes waiting for her, as usual. She put them in the washer, and then went inside and started the dishes. Standing over one spot, bent over, and scrubbing things really didn't help her back problem either.

She had a lot of other things to do before she was finished.

"Finally I'm done..." She whispered. She'd been being very careful not to wake anyone with the dishes, or anything else she was doing. Both her Mom and Stepdad were sleeping already. It was past Eleven o' clock, and her bed time was at Ten.

Kaline waked very carefully into her room, trying not to alert the dogs to her presence. If they woke up and heard a strange noise, or someone walking past her parent's room, they would bark. And that wouldn't be good... She turned on the light, and took out her school supplies.

"What are you still doing up?" Lewanne snapped, slamming her door open.

"I was just d-doing my homework, Mom..."

"It's past your bed time! Is all the housework done?! It damn well better be!"

"Yes..."

Lewanne scowled at her daughter, looking at her with those piercing eyes. She made her want to shrink away and die... Kaline spent every waking moment dreading talking to her parents. "Go to bed! And you're still fat, go on a diet or something."

_'A diet, hah! That's funny, they don't even feed me,'_ She thought angrily, but out loud she gave a different answer. "Okay, goodnight."

"And I know tomorrow is report card day, so don't even try to fucking lie to me!"

She breathed a sigh of relief, when her Mom left. Kaline was just glad she didn't lock her in her room, like she used to when she was smaller. She'd spent so much time alone, she had begun to love being alone. She was quick to turn the lights off, and try to go to sleep. It took her about an hour to actually fall asleep, though.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In the morning, Kaline was dead tired. But she forced herself to get up, so she didn't miss the bus. She had to do it all over again. She sighed, and got ready for school.

There was a boy who lived next door. A blonde boy. He never talked to Kaline, and she never talked to him. She knew his name was Daryl, but she didn't know if he knew her name or not. She didn't really care... Or she pretended not to. She had a secret crush on him, but would never let on. Besides, she had a boyfriend anyway. But he was abusive to her, and she knew he didn't really care about her.

Kaline left her house about the same time as Daryl. She kept her eyes on the ground, her long bangs falling in her face. She liked having her hair long, because it hid her face from people. Or as much of it as possible, anyway.

_'Maybe today will be different,'_ She thought. _'Maybe he'll talk to me.'_

But it was just like any other day, and the two quickly walked in silence to their bus stop, where they were joined by a few other kids. Her backpack was pulling heavily on her shoulders, so she took it off when the bus pulled up. She was wearing her normal outfit, completely dressed in black. Her mother hated it, and tried to make her wear brighter colors, but Kaline didn't want to. Her teal eyes looked at the pavement in disgust.

When the bus pulled up it was a long ride to school. She got to her class about half an hour early. But since she had no one to talk to, she got her books out of her locker and sat down in the classroom. Her boyfriend didn't want to talk to her, anyway.

A lot of people at her school knew who she was. But they didn't really talk to her. She was popular in the sense that everyone knew her name, but she wasn't popular in the sense that she didn't have any friends. She was just a freshman in high school, and this was her first year. So far she hadn't really met anyone worth remembering.

When she saw her boyfriend at lunch, he acted like he was glad to see her.

"Hey Kaline, can we talk?"

"Sure," She didn't smile, but she didn't seem sad either. She was just... neutral.

Kevin took her hand and led her over to a table outside that was kind of away from people. He gave her a hug, which she didn't return. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," She really only said it to shut him up.

"Well... How's it going? How have you been?"

'I don't love him,' She was thinking. 'If I did, I'd want to know what's going on with him... To know that he was okay. I don't really care. I'm just... so... hungry!' She didn't love him, but she did care about him.

"Sorry but I have to go," She said, feeling faint. Her mother had been starving her again, but she didn't want anyone to know.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Just fucking leave..."

"Sorry."

Kaline did leave. She tried to be a good girlfriend... She really did. This made her feel selfish. She was always feeling guilty for one reason or another. But the girl had to go find something to last her until the next time she could find food.

She decided to use her old trick of pretending to be sick. She had walked around the tables looking for leftover food but there really wasn't any today, and she didn't want to take anything if people were watching her. Then again, Kaline always felt watched, so she guessed it didn't make much of a difference.

Next class, her teacher sent her to the nurse's office, where she told the nurse she didn't feel good. They asked if she had eaten, to which she hesitantly replied that she'd forgotten her money at home. The same nurse had been here all the other times when Kaline did this. She knew it was only a matter of time before they found out. But for now, she was safe. She was fed, and alive. That was all that mattered. The nurse had gotten her a lunch from the cafeteria. Kaline was grateful for it. She just kept thanking the lady. When she said she felt better, they sent her back to class, thankfully without calling her Mom.

She made it through the day by finishing her work as quickly as she could. She got in trouble in a few classes for not doing her homework. Kaline was sure she would get a bad report card... Her parents never gave her the chance to do her homework. But she didn't even bother making any excuses, she just took whatever the teachers said with a grain of salt, and let it go.

When she got home, she had to hurry and take a bath, then get ready for work, just like she did yesterday. Today her Mom wasn't home, so she left her report card on the kitchen table. She had two D's, an F, and a C. She tried to make up for her homework by doing classwork and as much of it as she could on her spare time, but it was hard. She knew she was going to be in trouble. Since it was Friday, she had to work the late shift, so maybe she wouldn't have to be yelled at until the next day.

Work went by pretty normally. There seemed to be a lot of people there who hated her. Or they acted like they did... Kaline finally made it through her day. She'd called home to see if anyone was there, and her Mom was still at work. She started walking home, forgetting all hopes she'd had of anyone picking her up.

A dark green sports car pulled up beside her, just after she crossed a small bridge that led to her house.

"Need a ride?" A boy with short black hair asked her.

"No thanks," Kaline blinked, and leaned over to look inside the car. It was a boy from her bus that she knew... She couldn't think of his name. "I'm supposed to walk home from work."

"It's late. Are you sure? It's a shame you have to walk that far every day. I could take you home at least."

She smiled at him. "Alright, thanks."

Kaline made the mistake of getting in the car, and the boy sped off. He drove right past her house. She knew he was Eighteen, and therefore was older and stronger than her. Plus he was a boy.

"Where are we going?" She asked shyly.

"Nowhere," His face had changed somehow. He was no longer the kind acquaintance offering to do her a favor. "Just shut up."

"Alright..."

Kaline tried her best to keep track of where they were. She noticed that he had a really big knife in his hand. 'What is he going to do?'

After about an hour of driving, he pulled is car off onto a small dirt road. The boy reached across her and pulled her seat back. She flinched, but he didn't do anything to her... yet. He told her to stay still, and climbed on top of her. She was scared, but she knew she couldn't move.

The guy ripped her shirt off, and started touching her breasts. Kaline screamed, but there was no one around to hear her for miles and miles.

"Let me go! Stop it, get off me!"

"That's not a very friendly way to thank me for the ride," He smirked.

Before she knew what was happening, he was sliding off her bra and panties. Kaline tried to fight him off, but he grabbed her wrists in one hand and held her down. In his other hand, he held the knife she had seen earlier. She couldn't believe that someone she knew was doing this to her. She cried in pain when he buried himself within her core, tearing through her virginal flesh with such force...

"Don't say a word," He whispered in her ear. "We're just getting to know each other better, that's all. You can call me Jay."

Kaline didn't answer him. All she could do was hold still, and hope for the horrifying ride to be over. Finally he was done, and she had bled all over his seat. She was confused and wasn't sure of what to do. Tears still fell down her face as he kissed her swollen lips.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"..."

The girl had nothing to say. She glared at the way he chuckled and opened the door. He shoved her out of the car, and drove away laughing.

Kaline almost fell on her face, but she reached down just in time to catch herself. She didn't know how to get home, but she'd always had a good sense of direction. She made her way in the direction they had come from, watching the car leave behind a cloud of dust in it's wake. She whimpered when she moved, as each step hurt her where he'd torn her insides to shreds.

She could feel the darkness closing in around her, and she started to panic. It was really dark out, and there was no moon, only a few scattered stars were out. The darkness reminded her of something she'd seen as a child... Something terrifying. Now she was sure it was probably just her being a kid, having nightmares, and such... But she could never be really sure. It seemed so real. All she could do was keep walking.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When she made it home, hours later, her Mom's car was in the driveway. And the light was still on. She hadn't gotten any of her chores done yet...

_'Oh crap...'_

Lewanne was seething with anger when her daughter walked in the door at one thirty in the morning. "Where the hell were you?! Your job sent you home at ten o' clock, I asked!"

"Well, I was on my home, and there was this g-"

"I don't want to hear your bullshit excuse," She held up the report card. "I guess you're gonna have one for this too!"

"...No."

"You're grounded from seeing your Dad, or your gramma for three more months. Finish your chores and go to bed."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline did as she was told, and never mentioned the rape to anyone. She didn't keep a diary, and she didn't have anyone she could tell. Things went on like this, and all she wanted was to see her family again. But her Mom kept her isolated, and alone.

She missed just having someone to talk to sometimes. Even though she was far below the average weight for someone her age, Kaline's mother insisted that she was fat. She started starving her, and it became harder and harder for her to get anything to eat. She didn't have any friends at school that she could ask for their lunch... So she did whatever she could, eating leftovers here and there.

Sometimes her grandmother would come pick her up, and take her to get something to eat after school. But if her Mom ever found out, Kaline would only be in more trouble, so she couldn't do it a lot.

As Kaline grew, she became cold and bitter. She'd been putting up with this ever since she was Seven. She silently wished there was a way out, a way to escape from this wretched life... But she knew the reality of her sitaution was harsh, and there was nothing she could do. Things just went on and on... She was going to be fourteen in a few months, and she often thought of running away from home. She couldn't really see that as an option, though. She had nowhere to go, and the police would be after her.

With a heavy sigh, Kaline went about her daily routine, none the wiser that there was someone watching her. She'd always had a feeling that she was being watched, but she had grown accustomed to it long ago.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: This my first real OC fic... This IS a Naruto fanfiction, I will get to that part soon, I promise. While most of this first part is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. And yes, my Mom really did do stuff like that, and worse. She was very abusive. I don't want pity, I just thought it would make for a good story. And since it's my OC, I felt she should, at least in some ways, be like me. I didn't feel like going more in depth into my childhood, but it was very complicated and... sad.**

**Anyway I hope you liked it. The Naruto stuff does come into play, very soon. I just wanted to write a little bit more about my character first, and what her life was like before. I didn't make the rape scene as graphic as it needed to be, but it wasn't with Naruto characters, so who cares, right? I hope to have long chapters with this later.**

**-Kaline Reine**


	2. Chapter 2

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 2:**

The next day at school, things weren't any better. In the morning, while Kaline was looking for something to wear, she'd found a photo of her with her Mom and Dad. It made her miss her old family terribly. But she knew things would never go back to the way they were.

After deciding on her ripped blue jeans, with the black studded belt, and a gray shirt with long sleeves that were black, white, and gray, she left home.

She tried not to think about it, while she walked around looking for her boyfriend that morning. When she found Kevin, she really wished she hadn't. He was walking around with this other girl, and holding her hand. She was giggling and smiling, and then he pinned her against the wall and kissed her. The worst part was, she wasn't even pretty. At least, not in Kaline's opinion... She hoped they were happy.

_'What hurts me the most... is that he didn't even bother to break up with me first! He could have at least told me. I would have understood... No one wants me anyway.'_

Looking glumly at the ground, Kaline walked to her first class. She didn't miss the deliberate eye contact from Kevin, as she passed, though.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline had finished most of the things that she needed to do, and it was her day off, so she had time to catch up on some of her homework... She tried to hold back tears as she found herself thinking of her family a lot lately. She missed her Dad.

She wanted to live with him, but he'd already re-married, just like her Mom. And his new wife already had two kids, so they didn't have room or time for her... She was supposed to go to her Dad's house on weekends, but her Mom had full custody of her. Her Dad had said he didn't want her anyway.

_'Nobody wants me...'_ She thought to herself. _'And no one ever will. I really wish I'd just die.'_ Luckily she couldn't to any weapons or anything sharp, because she'd been locked in her room again.

That was something else she thought about a lot. Kaline was becoming obsessed with death. Everywhere around her, death was all she saw. She was very sad, but she kept it all in until... One day she even thought about cutting herself. She'd tried it a few times, and it made her feel better. But it really didn't help her situation any. Therefore, she still felt bad most of the time. So Kaline tried to get lost in her own little world, as much as she could. She'd stopped cutting now, since it didn't help her anyway.

While she was doing her homework, late at night, a man came to her window. "Kaline... I need to speak with you." He had a strange accent, and a raspy voice.

"What is it?" She walked over, curiously. Opening the window only halfway, she saw that he was very different looking. She could sense the power radiating from this man.

The man had long black hair, shining in the moonlight that came through her bedroom window. It vaguely reminded her of her Dad. He had a very pale face, with two purple markings around each of his eyes, that sort of reached down toward his nose. His eyes appeared cat-like at first, but then she noted that they were more like a snake's eyes, really. It made her curious. His clothes were especially strange, but she dressed kind of weird herself. And she liked his earrings.

"I want to make you an offer," He held out his hand to her. "My name is Orochimaru. I've seen the suffering that you go through. You have something that may be useful to me, and I'd like to help you. I can take you away from here. They'll never find you... But you'll have to leave your family behind."

Kaline looked at him suspiciously. She was no idiot. "I don't trust guys like you... Guys who just show up out of nowhere, and want things from me. No, you won't help me. Go away."

"But I will. You can come with me to the Sound Village. You'll be free from all this pain; all this torment... And I'm not going to do what he did."

"You sound like you know what happened..." She gasped.

"I was watching everything."

"Then why didn't you _do_ something?!"

Orochimaru smiled at the girl. "I couldn't do anything at the time. I was as helpless as you were..."

Gently, he ran his fingertips across her face, smoothing her long brown hair back behind one ear. He chuckled at the way Kaline fixed it immediately. She hated it when people did that, and he knew it.

"You could have stopped him," She glared angrily at him.

"I can only come here once every few years, to bring people back to my Ninja Village. Will you give in to the cruelty of this world? Or will you escape this horrible fate of yours, and serve me?"

Kaline thought about it for a moment. She was never one to act irrationally. She always had to think things through first. She hated her life here. This place seemed to have nothing to offer her but pain. She didn't have any friends, and she wasn't allowed to see her family. Everyone treated her like she was nothing to them, so they probably wouldn't care if she left.

"I never want to see them again!" She said, meaning it with all of her heart. "I'll come with you. But no tricks."

"Of course not."

Orochimaru took her hand, and in one giant step, Kaline was out the window. She held onto him as he leapt high into the air, and then disappeared out of sight. She closed her eyes in fear, and once she opened them... They were in a new place.

_'I don't... know where this is... everything looks... so different,'_ She was still disoriented from the trip.

"You trust me," He told her. "I can tell you do. And for that... I will give you great power."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He left her under the care of his assistant, a boy who was ironically younger than her... He had short gray hair and glasses. He told her his name was Kabuto, and it made her wonder why everyone here had such weird names.

She was given a place to stay, in the Sound Village. It was like having her own house, but it was smaller. And she had to share the room with other people from time to time, but none of them ever lived there. She did. They came and went. So it was sort of like a half-way point. It may not be as nice as where she was used to living, but here she was free, at least. Kaline was told that she could do whatever she wanted.

But she soon realized that freedom came with a price. She was expected to train to be a Ninja, even though she had no idea how. They enrolled her in the Sound Village Ninja Academy. She was told by the other students that it was very different than any of the other Ninja schools, but since she'd never been anywhere else, she had no idea how it was different.

If students didn't study, and learn like they were supposed to, they were beaten. It was a cold, cruel, and brutal place. But Kaline was a good student. The only reason she hadn't been able to learn things in her old home was because her mother gave her too much housework to do, and made her keep a part time job, and go to school too. There was never any time for homework. But here, she could manage her time as she pleased. And that alone was worth the trip.

"Kaline-san, pay attention!" The teacher told her, in Japanese.

"H-hai sensei..."

That was another thing. Kaline had to learn Japanese in order to do anything here. It was her first lesson, from Kabuto. She'd also gotten new clothes. They had looked at her sneakers really odd when she'd first arrived in Otagakure, as she was informed was the real name of the Sound Village. She would have to take extra time in the evenings to learn Japanese, but it wasn't as hard as she'd thought it would be.

She already knew how to use chakra, how jutsu worked, and she was learning how to properly throw shuriken and kunai. But she had yet to be given her own set of weapons, so she couldn't practice on her own much. The school had a practice set that they used for students.

There were other kids in the class, and most of them were younger than her. So they seemed on the same level, which made her uncomfortable. But they'd been in school a lot longer than her. Kaline was a fast learner.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

All in all, she liked it here, she decided. One night, she was cooking herself something for dinner with the money that Orochimaru gave her each week. He paid all the students in the academy so they wouldn't have to work, and so they would take their training more seriously.

Someone came to her door, and knocked.

"Come in," She called, still using Japanese to speak to everyone. She was used to it already.

A boy with shoulder-length silver hair came in. He had strange red markings around his emerald eyes, and two dots on his forehead, just below his hairline. He wore the same thing that all of Orochimaru's Sound Ninja wore.

"Orochimaru-sama told me to bring this to you," He gave her a set of weapons, and her own weapons pouch. He laid it on the counter in the kitchen and looked around. "Nice place."

"Really? I thought it was kind of small..."

"No. It's better than where I stay," He smiled at her gently. "You're new here, aren't you?"

"Hai."

"My name is Kimimaro-san. Orochimaru-sama said that I might be training you eventually."

"Oh?" Kaline went back to her cooking. "That's fine with me."

She'd been expecting another guest. Kaline still didn't know why he was making people stay in her small house from time to time. But she didn't really care, as long as she didn't have to go home. She still missed most of her family, like her Dad and grandmother, but... She never wanted to see her Mom or Stepdad again.

She was thinking about this while she cooked some kind of stew. She didn't exactly know what all of it was... Mostly things she'd bought from the marketplace.

Kimimaro looked at what she was cooking. He felt sorry for her. "You do know that we have restaurants here, don't you?"

"No, I didn't... Really?"

"Hai. We should go some time. I could show you around," He turned to leave. "I should go now. Oyasuminasai."

"Goodnight," She answered him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A few days later, Kabuto came to get her. He told her to pack her stuff, that she was coming to lvie with Orochimaru. She hadn't even seen him, since she'd been brought here. And she kind of wanted to thank him for taking her away from that awful place!

"Yes, I'll pack right away!"

She was so excited, she hardly even noticed when Kimimaro came in too. He stood next to Kabuto, and waited for her to pack. She only had the basics. Not a lot of things. But since this was sudden and unexpected, it took a while.

"Kaline-san, this is Kimimaro-san," Kabuto explained, when she turned around and saw him. "He will be your new sensei. You are now an Otagakure Chuunin Shinobi, by order of Orochimaru-sama. Congratulations."

"Thank you," She said simply. "And I've met Kimimaro-san before. I'm ready to go now."

Kaline was anxious to leave. The two boys were silent, as they led her to the Sound Base. It looked gloomy and depressing when they arrived, but she knew that looks could be deceiving.

"I'm glad you are here," Orochimaru told her. "I would have gotten you myself, but I can't leave this hideout right now. I'm sure you already know this, but if you leave without permission, or tell anyone else where this is, you will be killed."

She nodded.

Kimimaro took one of her bags. "These look heavy. I'll show you where your room is."

"Okay... But Orochimaru-sama?"

He had turned to leave, but the Sannin warrior cocked his head to one side, wondering waht in the world she wanted. He was curious about her. "Yes?"

"I..." She blushed heavily. "I want to say... thank you... for rescuing me, I mean."

"I didn't rescue you," He told her, dashing her hopes a bit. "I merely brought you here as a tool. It was nothing more."

"Still, arigatou!" She insisted.

He just shrugged, and walked away. Kaline didn't mind. She went with Kimimaro to put her things in her new room.

It was a simple room. She kind of liked the intricate pattern that was carved onto the walls. It made things a tiny bit more decorative, anyway. She didn't like how all the rooms and halls and walls looked exactly the same, though. It reminded her of a military fort, and in a way, that's what it was. Only it was underground.

She hurried outside for her first real training session with her new sensei.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**Translations: Hai means yes. Oyasuminasai means goodnight. Did I forget any Japanese things for this chapter? Hopefully not... I'm not putting suffixes here b/c there are too many but if you don't know your Japanese, there is a list of commonly used Japanese phrases and words on my profile.**

**A/N: I hope this chapter was at least somewhat plausible. I'm trying really hard on this one... I think it's moving along kind of fast, but I don't know. Kazoos are a very formidable weapon sometimes. I wonder why I gave her such a silly jutsu, in such a serious story... Whatever, it works. It's not the only one she has, either.**

**-Kaline Reine**


	3. Chapter 3

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 3:**

Kimimaro taught her many things... He showed her how to throw weapons with almost perfect accuracy, using her chakra to help guide them.

They had decided that her weapon would be a kazoo. As ridiculous as it sounded, her jutsu was quite impressive. She practiced on a rabbit that she saw in the woods...

"Okku Ongaku no Jutsu!!!" (Jutsu of Annoying Music) She shouted. The rabbit screeched at the horrible sound, and dropped over dead.

"Very good," Kimimaro told her, honestly. "With just a little more practice, you could even make Jounin."

"Awesome!"

The girl smiled brightly at her sensei. She had turned fourteen about three months ago, and she'd learned so much in so little time. She had hit puberty and was beginning to fill out nicely. Kaline trained every single day, with Kimimaro. Neither of them had anything else to do, and those were their only orders. She had begun to develop a slight crush on him. But the girl adored Orochimaru! Kimimaro wouldn't admit how he felt about anything. He never talked about his feelings. He only saw himself as a tool to be used, nothing more.

"We should take a lunch break," The only remaining member of the Kaguya clan said.

He'd told Kaline all about his past. But he talked about it the same way that she did her own. With complete detachment. It was like he was emotionless or something when it came to his past. She knew that feeling. But she also knew that he had emotions and feelings too. He just wasn't always good at sharing them.

"I like it here," The brunette girl commented, as they sat beneath a tree and ate from a packed box. "It's much better than where I'm from."

"And what do you think of me, I wonder?"

"What do you mean?"

Kimimaro moved closer to her. He put his meal to the side, and wrapped an arm around her. "I like you, Kaline-chan."

She blushed. "No one's ever called me Kaline-chan before..."

"Well I just did."

He kissed her lips, gently. Kaline accepted it, and sort of kissed him back. She was scared of what would happen, but to her relief, he sat quietly by her side, while she finished her lunch.

"Will you..." Kimimaro fidgeted nervously. His people skills were definetely lacking. "Will you be with me?"

"You mean like... be your girlfriend?" He nodded, and she blushed even more. "Sure."

Kimimaro smiled. It was rare to see him do that, so Kaline knew it made him happy. They took things slow, and resumed eating their meal. She felt lighter than air, like she just start dancing at any moment. It was a wonderful feeling.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That night, when he walked her to her room, Kimimaro asked her if he could come inside. Kaline was a little hesitant about it. They'd shared numerous kisses throughout the day. And it had certainly served to make her training much more interesting, but...

"I'm sorry, Kimimaro-kun. But I just can't," She smiled at him, seeming to know that it was meant as an innocent request. "You see, I'm used to being alone... I _like_ being alone. I mean, I like being with you, too... But, I just can't right now."

He nodded, a sad expression on his face. "That's okay. See you tomorrow." He walked to his own room then.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A few days later, he asked her the same question again. Kaline had grown quite comfortable with him. And since there were no other people in either of their lives, this seemed like an easy choice.

"Come in," She told him.

Kimimaro took her by the hand, and they went straight to the bed. It was an awkward moment for her, since she pretty much knew what was going to happen, even before it did.

When they got there, Kaline layed down, with her boyfriend laying beside her. He smiled at her, and took her hand in his. He closed his eyes, to sleep. She then realized that she had misinterpreted his request. It made her feel a little bad for thinking that way about him, when he was so innocent.

_'But I'm not innocent...'_ She thought sadly, as she tried to get some sleep as well._ 'No, they took_ that_ away from me too! Back in my world... Kimimaro wouldn't like me if he knew what happened. I can't tell anyone about it. Not now, and not ever. Would they even believe me if I did?'_

Locking away her heart along with her past, Kaline let the sweet rush of sleep overtake her tired body.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She woke up to the sounds of someone panting loudly in her ear. A set of teeth gently nibbled at her earlobe, biting her; hurting her. It kind of felt good too, but she was scared.

Kaline squeaked, and moved away from the warm body that was next to her own. Kimimaro's emerald eyes gazed into hers with an unknown emotion. His dark voice drifted through the air.

"...I want you."

That was all he said. But there was so much in those three small words, that she almost couldn't refuse. _'Besides... It can't hurt anything anyway. I'm not even a virgin anymore. Ever since that guy...'_ She tried not to think about it.

She didn't answer him, but she also didn't protest, as Kimimaro climbed on top of her. She felt something for him... It was more than caring; it was love. Kaline had never felt love before, neither before or from anyone else. Not this type of love, anyway. In her own strange way, she loved everyone and everything. But not like this...

"Mhmm..." Kimimaro moaned, rubbing his hips against hers.

"Just take me," She was so eager to whisper these naughty words into his ear. "Please..."

The boy didn't have to be told twice. He quickly sat up on his knees, long enough to shed his clothes. Kaline took off her own top, and he pulled off her pants for her. His eyes were filled with love too. And more than that; understanding. They were on the same page, they were together, and they both felt that nothing could ever break them apart.

Soon, he kissed her, trying to take away the pain that he thought would come when he slid himself into her. He didn't even notice how easy it was to fill her inside with his pulsing length.

Kaline squirmed, trying to get more comfortable with her inexperienced partner. She felt pangs of sadness go through her heart.

_'He thinks I'm his first... I'm such a liar! I hate myself.'_

As if reading her thoughts, he answered them. "I love you, Kaline-chan."

"I love you too," She answered automatically. She wasn't sure how she felt about this exactly. But she definetely wanted to enforce the fact that they were together. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. She did love him... _'But I still hate myself.'_

His pace increased, as he began to lose himself in the throes of passion. Neither of them noticed that they were building something that neither of them could ever destroy. Kimimaro moaned, which turned Kaline on, making her moan in response. She was thankful that he was being so gentle with her, and she told him so.

"Thank you..." He had looked at her strangely then. "Thanks for not hurting me. Nnnnh..."

He was hitting just the right spot inside of her, his shaft rubbing her velvet channel in just the right way. Kaline loved every second of it. She could tell he was enjoying himself too.

Soft hands caressed her breasts lightly, as he came inside of her. Kimimaro cried out his release, and waited patiently for her to have hers as well. He pretended to know what he was doing, when really he had no clue. Moments later, he felt her walls tighten around him, and he knew that he had pleased her. He fell to one side, panting and trying to catch his breath.

"How was it?" He finally asked.

Kaline blushed. "Amazing... And how did you feel?" She was always more concerned for others than herself. She'd been about to ask him the very same question.

It hadn't been amazing for her, but it was nothing to complain about either. She didn't have an orgasm; she had only clenched her muscles and faked it because it would get him off of her. She enjoyed being near him for that brief amount of time. She loved that someone cared about her enough to do something like that with her. But she hadn't enjoyed it a sexual way, really. Maybe for a few moments, but nothing more. It made her wonder if something was wrong with her.

"I can't even describe it... You're so perfect Kaline. You're amazing..."

He kissed her lips adoringly. Kaline almost cried. She knew he meant what he said, but it worried her. What if they got too attached? What if she began to care about him too much? What if the love she felt got taken away from her?

She was not naive. She knew the way things worked. And Kaline was scared.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The two continued their relationship. Everyone in Otagakure knew that they were together. Kaline was envied by all the other girls.

Soon Orochimaru gave her a new outfit. She was chosen to serve him as one of his Elite Shinobi. She wore the same outfit as Kimimaro. The black and white one, with the yin-yang symbol and the purple rope around her waist. That was when she was introduced to Kidoumaru, Tayuya, and Jirobo. Kidomaru quickly earned the nickname spider-man from her, and Jirobo's nickname was chicken-boy, because of his hair and his movements.

"I can't believe I'm being sent on a mission with _you_," The pink-haired Sound Kunoichi called Tayuya remarked. "They could have sent me with anyone else. But no. Let's just get this over with..."

The mission they'd been given was to go to the Leaf Village to do some work as spys. Several months after she first started dating Kimimaro, Kaline was still nervous. She was just as scared of losing him as she ever had been. But it had been long enough, and she began to let her guard down.

Tayuya was partially jealous that Kaline's kazoo jutsu was more powerful than her flute. Luckily Kimimaro had been sent with them on this mission. This would keep them from fighting with each other, and keep them focused on the mission. Or so it was intended. Orochimaru did his best not to separate him from Kaline. It never went well when he did. Jirobo and Kidoumaru had been sent on another mission somewhere else.

"Where are we gathering information from again?" Kaline asked both of the other Sound Nins.

"As usual, you don't even listen," Tayuya snapped. "I'm not telling you!"

She already had her own nickname from Kaline too. It was Bitch.

Kimimaro smiled at her. "It's okay, Kaline-chan. We have an informant who is there right now, gathering information. Kabuto-san has been in the Leaf Village for a brief time now."

"Thanks."

Now that she had her mind on the mission, she began to focus more intently on their goal. It took a few days to reach Konohagakure. The trip there was almost pleasant... Except for Tayuya's occasional remarks. This time she seemed to be keeping it to a minimum though.

Kimimaro stayed as close to Kaline as possible. He didn't want her finding out his secret... Not yet, anyway. No, he had decided that he would save that for the trip back. He and Tayuya had made a plan as to how it would happen. But he was starting to re-think it...

_'Is it really worth it?'_ He was getting worried now. _'What will Kaline-chan do? How will she take this?'_

He knew that she really cared about him. But he wasn't sure how he really felt anymore. This was going to be so difficult... His mind was not on their mission at all.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: I know this was a little graphic for someone so young, sorry. Poor Kaline, she's going to get hurt later on. If you think she's found 'the one' you're wrong. If you think she ever will, you're wrong. I hope that doesn't disappoint you. Not everything will have a happy ending, but in some ways it's still happy. ^_^ Don't be sad for me, I only hope you enjoy the story. More chapters are to come soon.**

**-Kaline Reine**


	4. Chapter 4

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 4:**

To her surprise, she had carried out her mission flawlessly. Kaline had never had much confidence in herself. But this time it was different. She really did like being a Ninja, and it seemed to suit her.

While they were near the Leaf Village, she had grown curious. It seemed like a much nicer place to live than Sound. She wondered what it was like... But her thoughts were interrupted when they set up camp. Her concerns were soother by Kimimaro, gently holding her in his safe, warm arms until she fell asleep.

He kissed her forehead, and slipped away into the dark.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was midnight when she woke up again. Something had pulled Kaline out of her dream-like state, and brought her back to reality. It was a noise... Or noises. She had very sensitive hearing, which was another thing that made her a superb Sound Ninja.

_'What is that?'_ She wondered. _'And where is Kimimaro? He was right here...'_

Kaline crossed the distance between where she'd been sleeping, and where the noises came from. She could see them clearly. Their bodies were illuminated by the moonlight. It was beautiful. Soft motions could be seen in the dim lighting, as they moved fluidly over and under one another. In their delicate dance of sweet joining, they failed to see that they were breaking someone's heart.

She sadly averted her gaze. Some women would have thrown a fit, had they caught their lover loving another. But not Kaline. She ran into the forest, as far away from the dreadful sight as she could. Her chest felt heavy, like there was something inside of her that was shattering into a million pieces.

She ran and ran, but could never get far enough. It was not long before she could hear them chasing her. Kaline had never expected this from the one she loved.

The sound of flute music echoed all around her. It was an eerie, lilting melody, carried in on the breeze.

"There you are!" Tayuya's course voice echoed all around her. "You're caught in my Genjutsu now. You will die here!"

"Tayuya-san, stop it!" Kimimaro's voice rang out above hers. Kaline couldn't move. She was trapped in an illusion that she had no idea how to break. "I don't want to hurt her."

"It's a little late for that!"

Kaline could hear the voices arguing, but she didn't know where they were coming from. Everything looked strange, like water rippling around her. Soon the voices just faded into the background.

There was a sudden surge of pain, and then darkness. The footsteps leaving her behind fell on deaf ears. The pair of eyes, so different, and yet so like her own, gave her once last longing glance, before leaving her behind. He had abandoned her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Itachi didn't have much to do today. He was known as the Prodigy of the Uchiha clan. He already had the highest scores in his class at the Academy. Things were not what they seemed, however.

He was one of the few people who knew that his clan was hiding a deep, dark, secret. But all he wanted to do was spend time with his little brother. His parents were very strict. Not only had they forced him into being a Shinobi, but now they were planning to force it on Sasuke as well. That just didn't sit right with him. It wasn't fair.

He needed to be alone to think. He had chosen to come out into the forest and train. The training grounds weren't too far from where he was, but he had strayed from the designated area, so no one would bother him. All Itachi wanted was to be alone with his thoughts. He felt that he had been given to much weight to bare on his shoulders.

The Uchiha prodigy had taken this path many times. But today something unusual happened... He came across a girl.

She was lying face down, on the ground. He went over to her, and flipped her over. She seemed to be having difficulty breathing. She was just barely hanging on.

"Are you alright?"

No answer. He wasn't surprised. From the looks of her, she'd been through quite an ordeal. Her long dark brown hair was clinging to her face in places. There was dirt and blood all over her.

"Hn."

_'She must have been running for miles...'_ He swept her hair out of her face, just enough to look at her headband. Itachi's eyes widened. _'A Sound Ninja! She's from Otagakure... I can't let the Hokage know about this.'_

He made up his mind. His mother knew a few basic healing jutsu. Maybe she could help. He had to do something, anyway. He couldn't leave this girl here alone; not when she was injured. Even if she was an enemy.

Itachi made his way to the back entrance of the Uchiha section of the village. He made it there in no time, carrying her on his back. It was difficult, because she was unconscious, and couldn't hold on to him. He recieved a few odd glances from the other Uchihas, but since he was the prodigy of the clan, no one questioned him.

"Kaa-san!" He called for his mother when he'd made it home. "I need your assistance! Please, hurry!"

Mikoto came out to the front as quickly as she could. She was relieved that Itachi wasn't hurt. But who was this strange girl? "What's wrong wit- Oh that poor thing! She looks hurt... What happened?"

"She's from Otagakure," He explained. "We can't take her to the hospital. Please, heal her if you can."

"I'll see what I can do."

Mikoto knew that she had to act fast. This girl didn't have much time left. She used her chakra to heal her lungs and heart. All her organs had been injured. She continued to work on the girl for a few hours, with Itachi standing watch and helping her in whatever ways he could.

"I've done all that I can," His mother finally admitted defeat. "The rest is up to her." She gave him a small jar of ointment. "Put this on her cuts and bruises, and it should heal them."

"Hn."

Itachi moved her into his room, where he could keep a close watch on her. He knew no one would mind. He was trying to help someone. And even if was an enemy of Konoha, he knew that the Uchihas would support his efforts.

That night, Fugaku came into his room. He was watching her.

"She's breathing better now," Itachi stated, with no emotion. "I guess Kaa-san told you?"

"Hai," He nodded, with that same sour look on his face that he always wore. "Once she is coherent enough, she will be questioned by our police force. Is that clear?"

"Hai, Tou-san."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was another week before the girl opened her eyes. Kaline was weak from not eating anything. Itachi could tell that she'd probably been laying in the forest for a few days before he found her, too. He was curious how she was able to survive that long with nothing to eat.

Luckily, he was home when she woke up.

"I'm glad you're awake," He told her in a low, comforting voice.

It was the first thing she heard. "Am I dead?" She asked out loud.

Itachi chuckled at the question. "No. I found you in the forest. You were almost dead. I brought you here, and my mother healed you."

"Thank you," She was barely able to sit up on the small cot she'd been sleeping on. "How long was I asleep?"

"I don't know."

Kaline took a minute to just look at him. This man was her savior, and she'd hardly given him a second thought. He had long black hair, falling into his handsome face. He had two lines running down each side of his face, and it made her wonder where he had gotten them. His eyes were dark.

_'Like coal,'_ She thought. _'And his skin is like porcelain... Why am I thinking weird things?'_

"Thank you for saving me..." Kaline was still a little dizzy, and disoriented.

"I can't let anyone know you're awake," Itachi was trying to explain everything to her quickly. "You're in Konohagakure now. My father is the head of the Konoha Police Force. He said that they would take you in for questioning when you were healed. You have to run away from here. I'm sorry. Go."

Kaline tried to get up, but she fell down again. She was having trouble standing, and she still felt terribly weak. There was no way she could run, and Itachi saw that.

"I can't..." She was about to cry.

"Don't worry," The Uchiha prodigy tried to think of another way out of this. He wanted to help her, not have her sent to jail. She'd obviously been through enough already. That was when he looked up, and saw Fugaku standing in the doorway. He crossed the room, and stared down at her. It made her feel uncomfortable, and she squirmed. His gaze was piercing and frightening. It was like he hated her, when he didn't even know the girl. How unfair.

"Come with me," The man growled.

Kaline was terrified. Itachi once again came to her aide. "No, Tou-san... Let me bring her to the police station. She's still weak, and you need to be careful."

"Fugaku-san," Mikoto pleaded with him when she saw that the girl was finally awake.

"Sound Shinobi recover quickly. She's probably fine. Just trying to fool us, Itachi-san."

_'So that's his name,'_ Kaline made sure she would remember. "Itachi..." She said it out loud again. She'd have to watch that.

The two guys led her to the police station. She followed the angry-looking older man into the back room. Another officer slammed her face-first into the table.

"What are you doing in Konohagakure?!" They screamed at her.

"N-nothing, I- I didn't even know where I was!"

"Bullshit," Fugaku grabbed her by her long dark hair, and used it to pull her into a chair harshly. "Sit!"

Kaline did as they had asked. She knew that she should have listened to that Itachi person, but she was unable to run. In the condition she was in, she would have been been captured right away, no matter what. And that would have been even more suspicious.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," She told them. Another man and a woman also had entered the room now. They were all wearing similar uniforms. "I don't mean you any harm."

"Otagakure is run by a notorious criminal, Orochimaru," The female officer told her. "He sends spies here all the time. Sound Ninjas are our sworn enemies. Tell us why you were found in Fire Country."

_'I'd better tell them the truth.'_

"I was on a mission," She told them, as tears rolled down her cheeks. "And I was sent here with the rest of my squad. But I ran away from them."

"Why did you run?" Fugaku got in her face, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I don't know... I was upset. I caught my lover with... another girl," She was sobbing by this point. "It's too painful, please don't make me talk about that."

Itachi was allowed to watch what was going on through a screen. Only members of the Uchiha clan were permitted in the back of the building. But he had full clearance. Fugaku had silently forbidden him to be in the room when they questioned the girl.

_'Her lover?'_ He smirked._ 'And she looked so innocent...'_

"Tell us," Fugaku snapped. "I want to know the whole story. Skip the personal stuff. We just want to know what your mission was, and why you were found in that condition."

Itachi rolled his eyes._ 'You're no fun, old man.'_

"Our mission was to rendezvous with a spy that Orochimaru had planted here in your village. His name is Kabuto-san, I think. I ran away, and when I ran, my comrades... They attacked me! I barely managed to get away. I was trapped in a Genjutsu. And then I woke up in your son's room. That's all I know."

Fugaku led the others out of the room. "Wait here."

When they came back, they seemed to have reached a decision. Itachi was with them, and Kaline looked at him. What were they going to do?

"Where will you go?" Fugaku asked the frightened girl. "Do you wish to return to the Sound Village?"

"No! I never want to go back there... Not after what happened. There is nothing for me there. Or anywhere for that matter... Can't you just kill me?"

Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder. "I won't allow that."

"Very well. You will stay with us for the time being," Fugaku smiled at her then. Suddenly he didn't seem so scary to her anymore.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline was given a room in the Uchiha's household until they could figure out what to do with her. Sadly, she didn't have any clothes of her own. Mikoto was closest to her size, so she was given some of her old Shinobi outfits to wear. They were much more comfortable than what she had to wear in the Sound Village.

She didn't really feel comfortable staying with these people. It made her feel too much like a charity case. Itachi and his father told her that they would talk to the Hokage on her behalf as soon as possible. Fugaku had left already, presumably to speak with the Hokage already.

"Where can I rest?" She asked Mikoto, who was probably the nicest to her, out of all of them. "Not to be rude, but it's kind of awkward for me to stay with..." She trailed off, but cast a glance in the direction of Itachi's room.

"Of course. You can have the guest room," Mikoto showed her the way there. "How do those clothes fit you?"

"They're great. Thank you so much... I really feel like a burden staying here. I'm sorry."

Mikoto just smiled at her. "Don't be sorry. I'm just glad you're okay. I was the one that healed you after Itachi brought you home. You should rest now."

Kaline was grateful to have a room to herself at last. She layed down, and intended to have a nice long rest. She was grateful for the room being somewhat dark.

But she was interrupted a short time later when Itachi brought in a bowl of food for her. "Get up. You need to eat." He left no room for argument.

The girl could barely move as it was. She struggled to sit up, and finally managed to, by leaning against the wall behind the bed. Itachi sat beside her, and held some ramen to her lips with a pair of chopsticks. She blushed, and reached for them herself.

He didn't say anything, but let Kaline take the chopsticks from him. Her hands were shaking, so much that the noodles fell back into the bowl. It was no use. She looked ready to cry again.

"Please, don't be upset," Itachi told her. "You shouldn't feel useless. I can tell you are a strong person. I'm amazed that you managed to go this long without food. You have to eat."

He had decided not to mention what he'd overheard her telling the police about how she ended up here. It was none of his business anyway.

Kaline sighed, knowing he was right. "Thank you."

She finally allowed him to feed her. But only because she was unable to do it herself. When he turned his head away from her, it was the first time she noticed it. The girl was giggling now. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, it's just... You have a ponytail."

"And?"

"Well I just don't see many guys who wear their hair like that," She pointed out. "But it suits you, I guess... I just think it's cute."

"I am not cute," He glared at her. But she apparently didn't feel threatened by it.

No, her teal eyes seemed to look right into his soul. Itachi was starting to wonder why he was even bothering trying to take care of this girl in the first place. She was a Sound Nin. Chances are, as soon as she was better, she would sneak into his room, and slit his throat in the middle of the night. But something about her made people want to trust her.

Itachi continued feeding her until the bowl was empty. He stayed there, to see if she needed anything else.

Kaline muttered something. "...t' strve me..."

"What?"

"I said, my mother used to starve me. That's probably how I'm able to go so long without food now."

The boy looked sad. "I'm sorry to hear that." _'What the hell is wrong with me? I never saw I am sorry to anyone.'_

Kaline smiled at him. "Thank you for everything. I'll be fine now. And that doesn't matter. It's in the past."

"Hn. Hopefully it will stay there," He got up to leave. "Have a good rest."

To his surprise, Mikoto was waiting just outside the door. "You've done a lot for her, Itachi-kun. I knew you had some kindness... somewhere in that black heart of yours."

"Kaa-san, this isn't the time for jokes," He handed her the empty ramen bowl and walked to his room.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

No one saw Kaline until the next day. At breakfast, she came out to eat with the rest of the family.

"Oh, and who might you be?" She asked the small spikey-haired boy sitting at the table.

"I'm Sasuke," He smiled at her. "And I'm going to be the greatest Uchiha! And make Tou-san and Kaa-san proud! Isn't that right, Aniki?"

Itachi took his seat at the table too. "Sure otouto."

Kaline just laughed. It was cute the way Sasuke had been so friendly to her. Especially since he'd just met her. But she was a bit older than him. it was funny that he didn't even bother to ask who she was. He didn't even question her being there at all. They had a big breakfast, but Kaline barely touched her food at all.

"Oh that reminds me," Fugaku said suddenly. "You have clearance from the Hokage to stay in Konohagakure, Kaline-chan."

_'Why are they being so nice to me?'_ She wondered. "Arigatou." (Thank you.)

And Kaline knew at that moment that she would pay them back for their kindness. She had to.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: I had fun writing this chapter. I love this fic... It's so angsty and sad. It has sad times, and happy times, but that's just how life is. I hope this story is at least somewhat bearable. Yep, Itachi has a girlfriend, and it's not Kaline. Boo-hoo. I'm so mean to me! Oh yeah and in this fic, things are somewhat accurate but ages are all screwed up, since I know Itachi killed the clan at 13, not 15 or 16 or whatever. But bear with me!**

**-Kaline Reine**


	5. Chapter 5

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 5:**

Kaline learned that Itachi was the same age as her. She got along with him better than anyone else in the Uchiha house. He'd even introduced her to his best friend, Shisui. He was a nice enough guy.

She lived with them for a few more weeks, and she had to take a test from the Third Hokage to prove her worth as a Shinobi. She was given teh rank of Chuunin, based on her abilities, and they were certain that she would even make Jounin, once she had proven herself to be more trustworthy. She was looked down upon by most of the village, because she was an outsider. But she really didn't mind.

They had accepted her as a Konohagakure Shinobi, and give her a Leaf Village headband as proof of this. They also provided her with her own clothing, so she wouldn't have to wear Mikoto's old things anymore. She was being sent on missions, as well. But she didn't have a team of her own, so she would serve as an extra person whenever someone was missing a team mate, for example if they were injured, or something. It was a good way to recieve extra money.

One night, as she was helping Mikoto prepare dinner for the rest of the family, there was someone at the door.

"I'll answer it," Kaline was being treated as a member of the family now, so she would act as such.

She opened the rice paper screen to reveal... a girl. She had a very muscular build, and she was clearly an Uchiha. She had the same deep intense black eyes as everyone here. Her hair was long, and a dark color, almost black. But hers had an unusual purple tint to it, kind of like Sasuke's black. Her hair hung around her head in long uneven black spikes that resembled icicles, almost.

And her clothes seemed to suit her frame perfectly. She was almost as tall as Kaline, who was very tall for a girl. Her large breasts bounced in her small purple tank top as she walked. Her dark gray capri pants had an Uchiha symbol printed on each pocket. The expression on her face just screamed danger.

Kaline blinked, her cerulean blue eyes sparkled in the evening sun. "Can I help you?" She half-expected to be punched or something.

"Hi," The girl smiled, although it was a somewhat cold smile. It reminded her of the way she would catch Itachi smiling sometimes. "I'm Chiaki."

Kaline shook the girl's hand, looking clueless. She was still clueless as to what this girl wanted.

"I'm here to see Itachi-kun. Is he home?"

"Uh... yeah. Just a minute," Kaline went to go get him. She found him in his room reading a book on Genjutsu. "Itachi-san, someone is here to see you."

His expression didn't change. He just went out to see who it was. When he saw her, his expression was still the same, as was hers. He followed the girl outside, and they went into the garden together.

Kalien felt awkward now. She wondered why Itachi would want to be alone with a girl like her. But she knew there was nothing she could do about it, and it was none of her concern anyway. Yet she couldn't help but feel a small sense of loss, when her savior went away with someone else. Chiaki was better than her. In all aspects.

She went back to the kitchen to help Mikoto with dinner.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As time went on, this Chiaki person stayed around their house more and more. She was only there in between missions, but that was more than enough. Kaline had her own mission to go on too, but she kept very quiet, and to herself when she was home.

"Kaa-san..." Itachi asked Mikoto one morning. "Would it be alright if Chiaki-san joined us for dinner?"

Normally that wouldn't be so strange. But it was a custom in the Uchiha clan that such a formal invitation to join a family, was a sign of commitment.

"Sure. She's a lovely girl. She can join us any time."

His mother's smile hid the fact that she didn't want to offend Kaline, who was stadning right there in the doorway at the time.

"I'm glad she's coming too," Kaline added, though it was not for her to say. She just wanted to let Itachi know that she approved of his choice... even if she secretly didn't.

He smirked at her. "Thank you, Kaline-chan. I'm happy that you think that. Do you want to go train with me? My otouto is at school right now."

"Yeah, sure."

It always made her feel better when she was around Itachi. Everyone else could go to hell! He was her only friend.

The two of them set out to train that day, but they were stopped by a certain girl with long dark purple hair. They were on their way to the training grounds.

"Itachi-kun!" Chiaki ran over to where they were. "Where are you going?"

"Just to train," He replied in the same cold manner that he used on everyone. "Why?"

"Can I come too?"

"No," His answer surprised everyone, even Kaline. "I always train alone, with my otouto, or with Kaline-chan. I will see you later this evening." He walked away, dismissively.

Kaline was stunned, and she could tell that Chiaki was too. She almost felt bad for her. _'Why would he do that? It's like he's trying to keep himself distanced from her... But if that's the case, then why invite her over for dinner?'_

She gave the other girl an appologetic look, and hurried to catch up with Itachi, who was going at a brisk pace. "Itachi-san, wait!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They had completed their training, and Itachi had been quiet most of the day. Which Kaline didn't mind... She was always very quiet herself. That was probably why they got along so well. Itachi was flawless in everything, even in his training. She didn't even know why he bothered to train at all. He couldn't possibly improve himself any more.

"Let's go back," He told her, and she followed him.

They hadn't seen anyone else since Chiaki had stopped them that morning. Mikoto had packed a lunch for them, but it was almost time for dinner. Kaline worried that maybe that girl wouldn't show up. She'd feel really bad for Itachi if she didn't. But then again, she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. She decided to just do what she always did, and try to be nice no matter what. She didn't want to get involved.

Sasuke was waiting for them outside. "Nii-san!" He practically glomped Itachi, but he ignored Kaline, like always. He wasn't that interested in her. But he didn't seem to mind her presence, either.

"Otouto... You've gotten heavy. Let's go get ready for dinner."

"Aniki, did you know Chiaki-san is here? She came early."

That was disrespectful. "Hn."

Kaline went in after the two brothers, and went into her room. She used the guest shower to get cleaned up, and changed her clothes. All she had to do was fix her hair, and she'd be set.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dinner was awkward. Even moreso than usual. Everyone was being so quiet. Chiaki was smiling and trying her best to be polite. She looked like she would be the type to be mean, though.

Kaline noticed her ANBU tattoo. "So Chiaki-san... You're an ANBU too?"

"Hai," She nodded solemnly. "I'm on Itachi-kun's team. He's our leader. And he does a really good job." She smiled at him then.

Itachi didn't even give her a second glance. He knew he was a good leader, but of course that wasn't what Chiaki was referring to, and he knew it. Kaline seemed to sense something too, so she shut up.

"I'll help with the dishes," Chiaki offered.

Mikoto stoppd her. "No, it's okay. That's Kaline-chan's job, and it would makes her feel guilty if we don't let her do something in return for the meal. She always insists."

Chiaki scowled at that comment. She was determined she would be better than Kaline. "Well then I'll just go spend time with Itachi-kun, then."

Kaline shrugged it off, and did the dishes like always. She had never been lazy, and didn't mind doing chores. She was used to having to do everything when she had lived back in her own world. Sometimes it felt strange how she'd ended up here. She wondered what Itachi and Chiaki were doing... On second thought she didn't want to know.

When she was finished, she told Mikoto and Sasuke goodnight. Fugaku had just left for his mission, after eating. Itachi and Chiaki had nothing to do, and they were in Itachi's room... alone.

Thousands of images flashed through Kaline's head. _'Oh my god, I really don't want to think about that right now! How can I live with myself... Picturing him in that way?! And after all Itachi has done for me, too. I must be a horrible person...'_

She could hear noises coming from Itachi's room. And it was torture. Why did they have to be so_ loud_?! She didn't want to hear him making love to another girl! Kaline didn't know why, but she just knew that it was hurting her.

She wanted to be away from here, now. She had been saving up money to get her own place, and she knew that she would move out soon. It was times like this, when she was glad she was leaving. Even if it meant being away from the Uchihas, who she had come to really like.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: Chiaki is definetely the weirdest character that I've ever had to write. I hope you like her, she's really not so bad later on. But if you don't like her, you'll be happy about what happens to her. I won't reveal anything more though. In my last author note, I felt the need to warn everyone about Itachi having a girlfriend... I should have let you just be shocked! XD**

**-Kaline Reine**


	6. Chapter 6

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 6:**

Kaline was given an apartment in the middle of Konoha. She's used her savings to pay for it. It was sad, the day that she moved out.

"Good luck," Sasuke had told her. "There's this annoying blonde kid in my class that lives across from you."

She giggled. "Thanks for the warning," She ruffled his hair, which he hated. But he put up with it, since it was most likely the last time. "Goodbye Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san. Thank you for everything."

"Don't thank us," Mikoto told her, as she gave the girl a hug. She looked like she was about to cry. "Youv'e been more of a help to us than a burden. I'm so happy for you!"

"Take care of yourself," Fugaku shook her hand.

There was just one more person left for her to say goodbye to. "Itachi..."

She just looked into his eyes, with regret. They should have spent more time together. Now that would be awkward, if they were to still seek each other out. And she didn't know how to say goodbye to him. She would miss him, most of all. He smiled at her, seeming to know exactly what she was going through.

To her extreme surprise, the Uchiha hugged her. He whispered in her ear. "Don't say goodbye, Kaline-chan. It isn't necessary."

She nodded, and then bowed, before turning away. It was a happy day for everyone, but also it was kind of sad. She would miss these people, that had been so kind to her. And she knew that they would miss her too.

"You have more stuff with you now than when you came here," Itachi observed. "Can I help you take some of it to your apartment?"

"A-are you sure?"

"Well yeah. Someone should help you."

"Okay..."

She picked up two of her suitcases nervously, and Itachi grabbed the remaining two. She'd been planning on making two trips to get everything. She led the way there, even though they both knew where it was. It was Itachi and his mother who had gone with her to pick out which apartment she'd like to have. They were mostly all the same, but this one had stood out just a little bit more than the rest.

It wasn't a long walk, considering they were Ninja, and leapt from rooftop to rooftop all the way there. Kaline had to put one of the suitcases down, so she could unlock the door. Finally, they were inside.

"This is a nice apartment," He told her, while they put everything down in the living room. "And it came already furnished?"

"Hai."

There was a moment of silence between the two. Itachi gave her another hug, which seemed really weird for him to do. It didn't fit his personality at all.

He rested his forehead against hers. "See you later." He left.

Kaline stood there for a minute, stunned. He'd never gotten so close to her before... She didn't want to come between him and that other girl! If she did, it would be the exact same thing that Tayuya had done to her. And she didn't want to be that kind of person.

_'That isn't who I am...'_ She frowned worriedly. _'And Itachi and I are just friends. That's all we will ever be.'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It had been about two weeks since she'd been living on her own. Kaline wasn't the type to get lonely. No, she liked being alone.

"Hi," A grinning blonde boy stood in the hallway. The second day she'd lived there, he had introduced himself as Naruto Uzumaki. "What are you doing today, dattebayo?"

"Get away from me," She told him. "I don't like you. Plus, you're annoying. I'd rather just be alone."

_'Wow, where did that come from? Oh well... I hate the little pest!'_

He scampered away this time.

He was constantly knocking on her door, bothering for. She didn't know why. She just didn't like how happy he was. The kid had lost everything. He told her about it. His parents were dead, and he had no friends. But he still was so damn happy. It made her want to slap that grin off his face. Plus, he was always bothering her when she just wanted to be alone. He was such a pest.

Shisui, another one of her friends, was supposed to come over, and hang out with her today. As long as neither of them had a mission, anyway. She'd just gotten back from hers. She wanted to invite Itachi over, but felt too awkward. Besides, Shisui seemed to like her well enough.

Deep down, she passed away the hours by thinking of her love...

_'Kimimaro... I wonder what he's doing right now,'_ She walked into her apartment, and decided to lie down on the bed. She felt sadness wash over her entire being. It was the strongest thing she'd ever felt. And she never wanted to feel it again.

About an hour later, she had fallen asleep. There was a tall figure standing over her. Sleepy cerulean eyes opened... It was Itachi.

"Kaline-chan..." He used one hand to fix her hair, as he sat down on the edge of her small bed. "Shisui-san won't be coming today. He won't be doing anything ever again. He's dead."

"Oh... Are you serious?"

He nodded.

Kaline was depressed again. She felt the sadness grip her heart. It was taking over her soul. She'd made a friend here, and now he was gone. She would miss him.

"I killed him," He stated in a dark, sinister voice.

She looked up and noticed that his eyes were red. He had a new form of Sharingan that she'd never seen before. And living with the Uchihas, she'd seen it all. Kaline gasped. "Itachi-san... Why?"

"To gain the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan."

She was crying now, and he was holding her. "He was your _best friend_, Itachi-san! How could you do this?! If we were closer... Would you have killed _me_?!"

"I would have done anything necessary... To gain this power. It was an order. I know you won't tell anyone. And you can't," He nuzzled the top of her head affectionately, as sobs wracked through her body. "This is just between us. I will deny that I am responsible."

"But why?!"

"I have a mission to complete. It is a dangerous one. That's why you can't get involved. Please, try to understand, Kaline-chan. I wanted to be the one to tell you... I have to go now."

"Goodbye, Itachi."

He turned from the window that he'd come in through. "I'll never say goodbye to you." Sadness laced his voice. As he stepped out, into the moonlight, he whispered into the night... "Oshii ichi..." (Precious one...) His eyes had become glassy.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline worried about him every day. But she couldn't bring herself to go and see Itachi. No, she would wait for him to come to her. She knew he had been very busy lately. Being a double-agent was hard work. She had already guessed his secret. He was working for both Konoha and the Uchihas at the same time. That was the only thing that made sense.

She tried to tell herself that everything would be fine. But she had this nagging feeling that it just wouldn't.

"Kaline-chan!" She heard the blonde Kyuubi boy at her door. Since she'd become a citizen of Konoha, they had told her his secret too. But she was not allowed to tell the little twerp. "Are you in there? I know you are!" He opened the door just a crack, still calling to her. "Your door's not locked! Can I come in?" He came in anyway.

"Go away, baka!" (idiot!)

"But you seem so sad, 'ttebayo. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's grown up stuff. I want to be alone, please." She wasn't lying. Kaline always wanted to be left alone. It was better not to get attached to anyone, anyway. All that did was cause pain.

"Fine... But someone left this note for you," He gave her a piece of paper. "It was taped to your door, dattebayo."

"Thanks," She glared at him, and snatched the note from his hand. She put it on the counter.

"Aren't you even gonna read it, 'ttebayo?"

"I will, when I'm alone. Get out of my apartment, Naruto."

Finally, he left. Kaline followed him to the door, and locked it once he was gone. She didn't want any other rude intruders. And whenever Itachi came to see her, he always used the window.

_'Kaline-chan,'_ It was Kimimaro's handwriting. _'I'm really sorry for what I did. I miss you. I couldn't risk being seen in the Leaf Village, so I had someone drop this off for me. I hope you come home soon.'_ It wasn't signed, but she knew it was from him.

"Tch," She rolled her eyes. "This is my home now."

She crumpled the small piece of paper, and threw it in the trash can.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

One day, Itachi came to see her again.

"Hello Itachi-san. What do you need?"

"Can't I just stop by anymore?" He chuckled.

"Of course you can. I just thought that maybe something else had happened."

Itachi sat in one of her chairs, in the kitchen. "I just wanted to see you again."

"Ah... I see."

Kaline took the seat opposite from him, and they began talking about everything and nothing. How their missions were going, how they liked their teams, and things like that. They gossiped about some people that both of them knew. He stayed for about an hour or so, before he had to leave.

_'She doesn't even suspect... That this will be my last visit.'_ He thought sadly.

"Bye, Itachi."

He just smiled at her. _'You know how I feel about that.'_ His answer was silence. But it was so loud, she couldn't help but hear it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: THis chapter was somewhat sadder than the last. I'm building the plot a little bit more before the next major thing happens. I know this wasn't much of an update, and I appologize. The next chapter will get more interesting.**

**-Kaline Reine**


	7. Chapter 7

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 7:**

_'Kimimaro,'_ The letter said, as he unfolded it._ 'As much as I loved you, you betrayed my trust. I will always love you. Nothing will ever change that. No matter what I do, I have come to realize that I will always have feelings for you. I won't be coming back. I love you, but I can't. It's so hard for me... You have no idea what you've done! -Kaline.'_

She'd given to a postal ninja to bring to him. They were sworn to secrecy, and had taken an oath to deliver any letter they were given. They would protect it with their lives. He'd read it as soon as he went back inside.

"Wow..." He frowned. This hadn't been what he was expecting at all. He wouldn't want to fight her now. If Kaline was this much stronger mentally, he didn't even want to know how her jutsu had developed. "I hope I never have to fight her."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A sinister figure was lurking, in the lonely darkness. The evil Shinobi made his way through his home. This was where he had grown up. All the people that he was supposed to love and care for were here. Not a single person was missing.

Itachi stood in the middle of the street, with the dying cries of the Uchiha clan surrounding him. He had completed his mission. The task that the Konoha elders had assigned to him, in order to have peace once again. There would have been a terrible war, had he not done this awful deed.

He had two more places to go, before he was done. Silently, the merciless killer wandered through the streets of this dying city. he would have to kill three more people, in total, before his task would be complete.

"Itachi-kun!" A familiar female form clung to him, instinctively. Chiaki still had no idea that he was behind this. "I'm so glad you're okay! Everyone is dead..."

Tears fell from her eyes onto the sleeve of his ANBU uniform. That was enough to set him off. He didn't want to see her tears. With a heart as cold as ice, and eyes to match, Itachi pulled his katana from it's sheath. Her black eyes widened, and he looked straight into them. Foruntately, Chiaki had not yet awakened her Sharingan. She was as weak as the rest of them on the inside, no matter how strong she was physically.

"But- Itachi, no!" She embaraced him again, and he stiffened. "Aishiteru!" (I love you!) What she didn't tell him... Was that she was carrying his child. Chiaki had planned to tell him, the day after she found out. It would have been tomorrow. It would have been...

"Love is a weakness."

She looked into his eyes, then. Eyes that possessed the Sharingan. Their clan's bloodline barely even registered in her mind. At that moment, all she could see in Itachi's eyes were the burning embers of hell, as he stabbed her through the heart, without even blinking.

Now all that was left were his parents, and he killed them in much teh same manner. But strangely, they seemed to have accepted their fate. Not a single plea was heard, nor was a tear shed from them. They lay silently now, their cold bodies gazing up at them lifelessly from the floor. It made Itachi smile. He had done a good thing. He had promoted peace, and saved thousands of innocent people. And it had only cost him a few hundred lives. None of which were really important to him.

When he encountered his little brother, he'd said some things to him. He couldn't recall exactly what he had said. Itachi had been drunk on power and bloodlust at the time. All he had really wanted to do was protect his little brother. But he was forbidden to tell him that, so he'd purposely made the boy hate him.

_'This is really starting to fuck with my mind,'_ He thought, as he ran away, into the dark night. He took one last lingering look at Konoha, before leaving.

"I'll miss you," He whispered softly.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline stayed in her small apartment. She liked living in Konohagakure. Everyone there had become friendly toward her. She was having a much better life than she had ever dreamed possible. And though she loved being alone... At the same time, she was lonely.

One day, the thing that she dreaded most had happened. She heard people screaming outside. There was a lot of commotion that morning. She went outside to see what had happened.

Apparently there was a problem over at the Uchiha compound. Some kind of massacre?

She gasped. "Itachi..."

Running before she could even think what to do, Kaline made it just in time to see Sasuke being taken away for questioning.

"Sasuke-san! What happened? Where is everyone?"

"Kaline-san," He said her name sadly. His big onyx eyes glittered int eh sun, with traces of tears in them. "Nii-san killed everyone. He did it... to gain power."

_'Just like when he killed Shisui,'_ She thought sadly. _'Oh Itachi, what have you done?!'_

Anger flashed in her eyes, and in a blink, she was gone. She left Sasuke to the care of Konoha's Jounin. She knew they would see that he was kept safe. All she wanted to do right now was find Itachi. She made a brief stop at her apartment, to gather her Ninja gear, and get ready. After packing some food, and equipment, she left.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was dark outside when she finally caught up with Itachi. It surprised her just how good she really was at tracking people. But then, she'd learned from some of the best.

He stood there, stopping to rest near a small stream. His long black hair was being blown about by the wind, and his face was lit by the moonlight. He had never looked more like an angel than he did now. But angels were meant to be pure. And he was almost the very essence of darkness, as he stood there. The Uchiha was so... beautiful. Kaline shook her head, if for no other reason than to clear it. She couldn't lose sight of her goal.

"Why did you follow me?" He didn't look at her. He was looking at the moon. But his eyes sparkled in the darkness.

"I had no other choice. Why did you kill your clan; your family?"

"There are no survivors, correct?"

She nodded, knowing that he couldn't see her. He didn't need to, to know that they were all dead. Itachi was nothing, if not a very efficient killer. She didn't tell him that Sasuke had survived. Did he deserve to know that? Kaline felt a little afraid, being there in this secluded place, with this murderer. But somehow she knew that he wouldn't hurt her.

"I followed you... Because I want to know why you did it, Itachi-san."

"Don't be so formal with me," He walked over to her. "We've each known each other long enough."

She really wished that he wouldn't look at her with those eyes. A smirk was on his face, when she saw that he was still using his Sharingan. It was like a flame that he would never let die out. From that day on, Itachi vowed that he would keep a watchful eye on everything, with his Sharingan. The Uchiha clan's kekkai genkai (bloodline limit) was not a gift to be wasted. And the Mangekyou only served to make it that much more valuable.

Kaline would miss the Shinobi who had saved her from her death. She never knew that he would do this.

"Why are you leaving?" The tears came, and she could not stop them. She hated wasted tears on the worthless men of her past. And she had vowed never to do it again. But this was the first time that she'd ever cried for a friend, or for someone leaving her. _'I've always been the one to do the leaving,'_ She realized, much too late._ 'I left behind my family, and then the only man that I've ever truly loved. My whole life is just one huge mistake... Nothing more than me running away from everything.'_

Itachi moved forward, until his body was only inches from hers. Kaline looked into his eyes. They were full of pain and sorrow... But the most predominant feeling they gave her was that of his suffering. His eyes, now back to their inky black color, were shining darkly like coal.

"I could have killed either you, or Shisui-san to gain my eyes. You are my two best friends."

All she coudl think about, was that he was leaving her. But they both knew that Kaline would not beg or plead for him to stay. She was too strong to do that. "I wish you had killed me instead." It was slowly killing her, inside. She felt like dying.

He ignored her comment. "Hn."_ 'I wish I had killed _myself_...'_

Kaline wasn't sure what to make of that answer. It worried her, a bit. "Where will you go now?"

Taking something from his pocket, he dangled it in front of her face. "I have something for you." She noticed that he didn't answer her.

It shined in the moonlight, even brighter than his eyes had. But it was nowhere near as beautiful. A clear crystal, with no color other than the ocassional white markings inside it, hung in front of her eyes.

Itachi looked at her, standing there and looking up at him, so forlorn. He'd been keeping this necklace with him for a very long time. It was not until this moment that he realized he wanted her to have it, on a whim. It had always been meant for his lover, for Chiaki... But he'd never felt like giving it to her instead.

"Itachi..."

She closed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears that she just kenw would fall. As she opened them, she felt something soft and delicate around her neck. It was the black cord that held the little charm.

"It's a quartz crystal," He told her. "It's not much. They're very common. But you're not. Don't let anyone tell you that you are... Kaline-chan." Itachi turned to go, then.

"Wait!"

He turned to face her, with an eyebrow raised in curiousity.

"Where are you going?" Cerulean eyes were finally allowing the tears to cascade down from them. The sight nearly broke Itachi's heart. "How will I find you?"

He sighed, knowing this would be difficult to say. "I had to kill the clan. I was ordered to... I'm sorry. I am sworn to secrecy, but... Believe me, I want to tell you. I just can't. I do have a favor to ask you."

"Yes... anything."

"Watch over Sasuke-kun for me? Protect him."

She nodded, and he went back to her. Itachi almost didn't have the heart to leave. But he knew that he would have to. He was a rogue Ninja now. And Kaline knew all too well the consequences for such behavior. She'd been one herself, the moment that she ran away from Otagakure. And when she left her home, back in her own world. She wondered briefly if anyone here even knew that such a place as her old home existed.

"What about Chiaki-san? Did you kill her too?"

"Kaline-chan..." He tucked one side of her hair behind her ear, and she quickly corrected it. He did it again, and got the same immediate reaction from her. He smirked. "I was ordered to kill everyone. The only reason I spared Sasuke was because... He is my brother. Chiaki-san was only a body to warm my bed. She meant nothing more to me than that."

Kaline could feel his arms around her, just holding her in a comforting embrace. It was an awkward moment for her, and after a short time, she shifted away. He was a murderer. What was she thinking? She'd chased after him on her own, and confronted him, and now she was letting him get way too close to her. He could kill her at any moment.

He seemed to sense her discomfort, and let her go. But not without giving her a small hug first. "I'm going to join Akatsuki. Part of my mission is to keep an eye on them. And there's no better way to do that, than from inside the organization."

She nodded. She couldn't argue with his logic. "I will do as you asked. But be careful."

"Hn."

He was gone, and she was standing alone. She smiled when she realized that no one had said goodbye.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: I have no idea why I've been working on this fic so much lately. I guess I'm kind of letting my imagination run away with me here... Sorry for focusing on this one a lot.**

**-Kaline Reine**


	8. Chapter 8

**Too Late  
Story # 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 8:**

Kaline stayed behind in the village, doing exactly as Itachi had asked of her. She did her best to keep an eye on Sasuke. But since his clan died, he seemed to resent her. Hell, that kid was so angsty... He resented everyone.

But she didn't really mind. She didn't blame the poor boy. Sasuke had been through a lot, and he had lost everything. Kaline kept a watchful eye on him, from a distance. She didn't talk to him much. Because that was not her way of doing things, nor was it his. But she kept her promise, and that was what mattered. She was so happy the day that Naruto told her Sasuke was on his team. This would be a good way to keep track of his progress. Even if she didn't have a chance to tell Itachi... She wanted to know how he was doing, for her own reasons. She'd grown fond of him during her time living with the Uchihas.

Kaline would complete her missions that she was given. But really, her only goal now was to help Itachi. She felt like there was some reason that he had given her the task of watching Sasuke. So that was what she did, and she never faltered for a moment.

That day, she was on her way to check on the raven in person. She went to his house, in the Uchiha compound, about once a week. She'd offered for him to stay with her in the apartment, but he'd coldly said no. Sasuke had always been difficult for her. He pushed Kaline away, like everyone did to him.

"Sasuke-san?" She knocked. "I'm here to check on you."

"Come in," He said dully.

Kaline looked at the boy. He had grown, over the years. He was Twelve now. No longer was he the naive child of eight years old, as he was when she met him.

"Look, I know you're just trying to help me," He finally acknowledged her goals that day. Kaline had never been more proud of him. He was like a little brother to her, almost. "But do you really have to keep coming here every week? What's so important about me, anyway?"

"Nothing. I am only doing what Itachi asked me to."

"That bastard!" He punched the wall, leaving a big dent. Sasuke was stronger than he used to be, by a long shot. "I'll _kill him_! I swore on my parents' graves that I would have my revenge. I'm almost strong enough to take him on."

Kaline giggled. "You're only twelve, Sasuke-san. And Itachi did what he had to do. You shouldn't hate him for that."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, easy for you to say. He didn't kill your parents."

"They were like family to me too, Sasuke."

"Get out of my house!" He shouted at her, pointing to the door. "Never come back here."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline played with her necklace. She was sitting in the window of her apartment, which faced the setting sun. It was just dipping below the horizon, and she felt a small sense of loss, now that another day had gone by. She felt that she was wasting her life away here. And all because of some stupid promise.

It would only be a matter of time until Sasuke would make good on his threats. She had seen this coming all along. There was no way for anyone to stop it.

She had become far stronger herself. She'd invented several new Jutsu of her own, while in Konoha. One of them she had never told anyone about. Another was taught to her from her sensei, Anko. She had been a Sound Ninja too, at one point. She would be a valuable asset to almost anyone now. But she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life.

Sighing sadly, she got down from the window. It would be dark soon. And she needed to get some rest for her mission tomorrow.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A male team mate of hers cried out in pain, as a kunai imbedded itself into the tendon in the back of his heel. He could no longer walk, or use that foot again.

They had been on their way to Wave Country, when the ambush occured. Their mission was to take out the boss of a local gang that had started up there, again. That place was notorious for it's gangs, and all the wars that broke out within the country's borders. They were too busy fighting amongst themselves to be concerned with attacking other nations, luckily. They hadn't even gotten very far from Konohagakure yet.

Kaline's long wavey brown hair drifted behind her. She'd never liked tying it back. She liked to have something to hide behind, but she hated masks. The enemy Shinobi had attacked them from out of nowhere. Several shuiken were aimed at her head, but she managed to dodge them. Turning around, she took out her weapon of choice, her kazoo.

But before she could use it, another one of her team mate's was thrown from the trees by an exploding tag.

"Damn it!"

She worked quickly to attach some wire to a kunai, and threw it in the direction that the shuriken had come from. But Kaline couldn't watch in the back and front at the same time. She was knocked off balance, when someone's arm grabbed her, from seemingly out of nowhere. She didn't even have time to catch her breath.

"What do you want from me?" She almost made it seem like she was going to give in.

"Give us the necklace," A strong voice breathed down her neck. Whoever it was, had hold of her from behind.

A hand touched the crystal that hung from her neck, but it was quickly pulled away. A small red spark had come from the jewel, and shocked the hand that touched it. Kaline's eyes widened. She quickly realized what had happened, and used it to her advantage. She used the opening to raise her kazoo to her lips. Making a small noise to prepare the air around her for it, she began the first handsigns for this jutsu.

"Ongaku no Takai no Jutsu!" (Music of Death Jutsu) She called it, just as Anko had when she had first shown her the technique.

When she hit a certain note, the man behind her was forced to loosen his grip. He fell to his knees, clutching at his throat, and gasping for air.

_'What did she... do to me?'_ He couldn't speak, but she heard him.

The jutsu allowed her to hear the thoughts of her victim, but only for the short time before they would die. She'd heard him, loud and clear. On a whim, she decided to answer him, since he was dying anyway. He would have had enough time to counteract the Jutsu, if he were smart enough to figure out how. But if she took the time to explain it to him, that might distract him long enough.

"The Ongaku no Takai uses sound waves to dispel all of the air around the target's body. That means, having no air, they will die of suffocation shortly after. With no air, it becomes so silent that the user of the Jutsu can hear everything. Even your thoughts, and the exact moment when your lungs fail and your heart stops beating. Have a nice sleep. Bastard."

He fell over, his eyes coldly staring at nothing. He was dead, whoever he was. Strangely, the man wore nothing to identify him. He didn't even look like a Ninja. He didn't have a headband, but he also didn't have an Akatsuki cloak. There was simply nothing. His clothing was plain, and gray. Boring.

Like with almost every Jutsu, there were ways to stop it. But she wasn't going to waste time telling him that. Kaline knew she shouldn't have killed him. She should have tried to find out just what they wanted with the necklace that Itachi had given her. But it was too late for regret now.

She looked at her fallen comrades, which were a few paces behind her. Even Anko, the purple-haired Jounin, had had both of her legs severed, and she could not stand. She had blood coming from her neck, too.

Kaline took a single flare out of her Ninja bag. She loaded it into the flare gun, and sent up a signal flare.

"We're still in Fire Country," She remarked. "I'm sorry to do this, but I've made up my mind a long time ago. Someone from Konoha will come for you shortly."

Anko's lavender eyes widened in fear. She reached out to her student, knowing it was useless. Once Kaline had made up her mind to do something, she always followed through. But she had to try!

"Kaline, wait!"

Too late. She was gone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline spent a few days hiding in Sunagakure, until she felt it was safe to continue. She had heard rumors of the Akatsuki base being near here. To her surprise, no one came looking for her. They probably didn't know where to look.

She would seek refuge with them, if they would accept her. She had a feeling they would. She was officially a Missing-Nin now, and she had betrayed her Village.

It only took her a few days time to gather information on the location of their base. Soon, she found it, deep within an unknown forest. It was farther away from Suna than she had expected. She knew that she could probably seek refuge with the Kazekage, if she so chose. But there was a reason that she had left.

The sound of something flying past her at blidning speed caught her off guard. Strange white birds zipped around her.

"What are you doing all the way out here, un?" A low voice demanded.

She was surprised to see the owner was a feminine looking blonde man. "I'm Kaline. I want to join your organization."

"How do you even know I'm in one, yeah?" He raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that he was the one controlling the birds, from his movements. She sensed a tiny bit of chakra within them. But mostly they were harmless. He must have been tired, or either he didn't see her as much of a threat.

"Your cloak. You're an Akatsuki member, correct?"

"I want to know how you that, un. Who told you about us? How did you find this base, hm?"

"I got some information from some shady people in Suna. But that's really none of your business," She was getting annoyed, and as a result, she reached for her only weapon.

A strange man with red hair and very little chakra came out from hiding, and stood beside the other man. "Leave her alone, Deidara-san."

"But Danna, un!!!" The blonde whined. The other one was clearly his superior. "She was trespassing."

"I don't care. Leader-sama may wish to speak with her," The redhead turned his back to her, a sign of trust, and led the way down a small, barely visible path. "Follow me, girl."

Deidara didn't argue, but he deactivated the birds. The small flock fell to the ground with a clink. Kaline picked up one of them and looked at it. "Clay?"

He just chuckled, and followed behind the other guy. She decided to follow them. After all, their Leader was the one that she wanted to see.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: I hope these last few chapters were enjoyable. I love how I keep using this story's title in various places throughout... Hahaha. I also like Kaline's Jutsu. It took me FOREVER to come up with that. But oh, there are ways to beat it. I may find a way to add that in somewhere, maybe not. Well I like the way she interacts with Itachi, and how she thinks of him. Though it's kind of sad... ;)**

**-Kaline Reine**


	9. Chapter 9

**Too Late  
****Story #: 0112  
****by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 9:**

They led her to a small, run-down building. The walls themselves looked ready to tumble down, and the ancient tiles crumbled beneath her feet. Each step seemed to be almost in slow motion.

Kaline wasn't even sure if she could trust these men. They seemed evil, and of course they would be. They were in Akatsuki, after all. But she couldn't help but wonder what the true definition of evil was. She felt as if she'd been neutral all this time in that way of thinking. The only thing that made someone view something as evil is the way they were brought up. Someone who was loyal to Konoha, and whose loved ones all lived in Konoha, would naturally think that anyone but a Konoha Shinobi was evil.

But if she were part of Akatsuki, would that make Konoha evil? She couldn't help but let her way of thinking be twisted by these ideals. What would make a person truly evil? Was Itachi evil? Did it even matter?

She felt her heartbeat quicken, as she passed a room that she was almost certain belonged to Itachi.

_'It smells like him...' _Her thoughts wandered, on their own. _'Wait! I know his scent?' _She shook her head.

The two men led her to a big, ominous door. It too, was gray and full of cracks, like so much else in this strange lair. It was silent all the way there, and the man called Deidara let her in. They didn't bother to introduce her. They just opened the door, and left, expecting her to go in and handle things on her own.

"Uhm, excuse me..." She cleared her throat. The room was very dark. But it didn't really scare her, so much as made her uncomfortable. It was almost like being blind. Someone had closed the door behind her. "I was told it was okay to come in here..."

"That's fine," A hooded figure sat in the corners of the dark room. She couldn't see his face, but it wasn't like she particularly wanted to anyway. "Come in, and tell me why you're here. Were you captured by someone?"

"I- I'm not sure, exactly. I was brought here by a blonde man named Deidara-san and some redheaded guy. They said to talk to you..."

"How did you find out about Akatsuki?" A stern voice commanded.

Kaline saw that there was a blue-haired woman waiting by the door. She must have been the one who closed it.

"I have a friend who I think may have joined your organization. I wish to join to, if he has. If not, I will leave and keep everything that I've seen here to myself."

The man, or at least the person that she assumed was a man, actually seemed to think it over. "Once you find us, you don't leave. But who is the person you are looking for?"

"Uchiha Itachi. Is he here?"

The woman giggled faintly, but Kaline ignored it. She wasn't really a part of their conversation anyway.

"No," The figure seemed to shift, so that part of his features were visible in what little light there was. "He was on a mission nearby Konohagakure, and he requested to go back and see someone. I recieved his request this mission, and I allowed it."

There were small shiny objects, which she assumed were piercings, all over the man's face. He had a strange hair color, that she couldn't quiet make out. His eyes were his most prominent feature, and when she recognized them as the Rinnegan, she gasped.

"I am the Leader of Akatsuki. I've heard recently of a Kunoichi by the name of Kaline-san. It's a pretty odd name, so I can only assume they were about you."

_'How did they hear about me? And from who?'_

"I would like to join your organization."

She had to ask. All he could do was say no... Or kill her. If she couldn't join Akatsuki, after all this time, then she had decided that she would rather die anyway. There was no future left for her anywhere. Probably not even here. But she had to ask.

He thought about it, and this was followed by a deep laugh. "Hai. Konan-chan, take her to her new 'room'." He bowed his head slightly.

The girl beside her seemed to know the signal. She took hold of Kaline's arms, pulling her out of the room. She was shackled, her arms behind her back, and led down the hall.

At first she thought that maybe the shackles were a precautionary measure. But she was led into an impossibly darker room. There appeared to be no walls, or anything. But she heard the clanking of iron bars, and was left alone. She had become their newest prisoner. She heard the laughter from the woman who had locked her here echoing off the walls, even after the door was closed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It felt like days since she'd seen anyone last. But Kaline had no way to tell the time. All she could do was sit there. The way they had positioned her hands, she couldn't do any jutsu. She was surprised that they hadn't searched her for weapons, at least. These Akatsuki people were pretty sure of themselves.

_'That bastard,' _She thought. _'How can he lock me in here?! And toying with me, saying that I could join. I want to kill him...'_

They did feed her, but only miniscule amounts of food. It was probably every few days when she was fed. Deidara was usually the one to bring it to her. But sometimes it was an odd-looking man with two big green leaves on either side of his head. He resembled a venus' fly-trap, and sometimes he would look at her like she was dinner.

But she didn't know what was happening, most of the time. It didn't bother her that there was danger lurking all around her here. All she cared about was seeing Itachi one more time. If she died after that, then it wouldn't matter... Or that was what she kept telling herself.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A man with a long black ponytail was in his old village this evening. He had gone back, not to check on Sasuke, but rather someone else. He missed the way she would be so shy around him, the way she never expected anything of him, and the way her blue eyes would sparkle when she looked at him. But most of all, he missed her.

He was not the sort of man to take such things lightly. He knew that when she didn't come home to her apartment that night, that something was off. Kaline never stayed out late. She was always there.

The next day, he would have to back off, and go back to the base. But first he had to try to get the Kyuubi, first thing in the morning. Kisame would be coming with him, and he couldn't show any weaknesses. But he was genuinely worried about Kaline.

_'Why isn't she here? Did I miss something?' _

He backed away from her front door. He had actually been going to do things the right way this time, and not climb in her window like some kind of... of secret lover. _'I did not just think that,' _He corrected himself, quickly.

That was when he saw the small slip of paper that was stuck beneath the floor mat outside her apartment.

_'Kaline,' _It read, in some strange handwriting. He didn't recognize it as belonging to anyone to anyone in Konoha that he knew of. _'I wish you would come back to me. I still care about you, and I know that I made a huge mistake. Please... Just think about it. I would do anything just to see you again, to hold you in my arms one more time.'_

He growled at the mental image of the girl being held in someone else's arms against her will. Or would it be against her will? Wherever she had run away from, it was obvious that someone there was still interested. Was she interested in them too? Did she love them, maybe? And why did he care? Itachi looked again. The note was unsigned. He ripped it in two and tossed it aside.

The Uchiha left then, vanishing into the night.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She wasn't even sure why she wanted to see him again. Kaline knew that she must be mad coming to a place like this, just to try and find some guy who probably didn't care about her anyway. She should probably be going back to Kimimaro, like he had asked her to.

For the first time in a long time, she found herself thinking about him. But she quickly and determinedly steered her thoughts away from the Sound Ninja. She couldn't go back there. He had betrayed her once. What was to stop him from doing it again? So here she sat, in her isolated, lonely prison cell, waiting for the days to pass until she finally died. And from the way Deidara and Zetsu, for she had come to know that was the name of the plant-like thing, were looking at her, she didn't think it was too far off. She would almost welcome death at this point.

Suddenly, it was as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She'd been here for a long time, a few weeks or more... She couldn't tell exactly how long, but it felt like forever.

Relief washed over her, when she saw her savior standing in the doorway that led to freedom. Kaline held her breath, as she allowed her eyes to rake over his familiar form. He towered over her, looking down upon her with that black expression that he was so well-known for. Most people would have seen absolutely nothing in that gaze. But what she saw drew all the air from her lungs, making her gasp.

"Itachi-kun?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and he reached to wipe them away. "Kaline-chan," He knelt down to hug her.

It should have felt nice to be hugged by someone. But it felt awkward, somehow. Kaline was not used to any kinds of affection from people. She was from a cold and cruel world, where people would sooner stab one another, than hug them. Especially her family.

That was what brought her back to thoughts of home; thoughts of him. She needed to see Kimimaro again. She missed him. But at the same time, she wanted to be with Itachi. The girl was torn. He was her first love, and supposed to be her only love. And though he had lied to her, hadn't she deserved it? After all, she had lied to him too. He thought she was virgin. Memories of fleeting touches, and soft words drifted through her mind.

"What's going to happen to me?" She just wanted to know the truth, straight up.

"I'm not sure. But you're coming with me. Come on."

He led her back through the only door to the small cell they were in. This really did feel like prison. Kaline struggled to keep up with him; he was walking so fast.

They went into another room. There were a few twists and turns, but she thought she could remember how to get back to the cell she had been in if she had to.

_'Lot of good that would do me...' _She thought, blandly.

"This is my room," Itachi told her, offering her a seat.

Kaline sat in a small wooden chair. It was a simple design, and she looked around the room, surveying her surroundings. Everything in the room was simple. The bed was small and plain, with simple dark gray sheets. The pillows were a boring tan color, like most of the furniture. There were some scrolls on the far wall, and a few shelves. Nothing else. There were no personal items of his. It was like a military base, where it was probably the same as all the other rooms.

Itachi smiled at her. He really loved the girl. Too bad she couldn't see it. He had only recently admitted this to himself. But it was... a friendly kind of love. He wanted to protect her. She was like a little sister to him.

"I see you still have the crystal I gave to you," He said.

"Answer my question," She glared at the man who was standing before her now. He was so different than he had been years ago. _'...This is just awkward...' _

"Question?"

"Are you going to kill me?" It sounded silly, but it was a very really question. Kaline felt that she was just an annoyance here, some unnecessary thing that was just in their way.

"Hn," The Uchiha smirked. "I would never allow any harm to come to you. Especially not by my own hand."

"That's not really an answer..."

Itachi knew it wasn't. He didn't feel like talking right now. He only wanted to enjoy her company for a little while longer. He had another mission that he had to leave for soon...

On his last mission, he and Kisame had gone to Konoha in search of the Kyuubi. They hadn't found him, but they did have to fight Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma. It wasn't much of a threat, though. Itachi didn't even get to see his little brother. He had wanted to check up on him, to see how he was doing. But he could not risk it, nor did he have time. They were to leave on another mission to the town where the Kyuubi was last spotted.

"I don't have much time, Kaline-chan. I have to leave for a mission soon," He stated bluntly. "I am sorry that the Akatsuki weren't that hospitable to you. If they wanted you dead, you would have been... Long before I got here." He chuckled then, at some unknown joke. Kaline wasn't finding this funny at all!

"Ass..."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: This chapter was just plain creepy. There was a part of it that I don't even remember writing... But it worked so I left it. Anyway... Tell me what you think. I guess there were some unexpected plot twists. Like the second letter from Kimimaro. Don't worry, it's all got a place in the plot. Thank Kyoko for her wonderful beta work. **

**-Kaline Reine**


	10. Chapter 10

**Too Late  
****Story : 0112  
****by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 10:**

"What did you just say to me?" Itachi demanded. He leaned down over her smaller form, placing one hand on each side of the back of the chair she was seated in. She was pinned.

"I-I said…" She thought it over for a moment. Was this really the Uchiha Itachi she knew?

_'He's an Akatsuki member now,'_ She reminded herself. _'And I'm sure he's changed. He had to…'_

"Nothing."

Kaline hung her head in defeat and shame. She felt a hand gently brushing her cheek, and her face was tilted upward, giving her no choice but to look into his eyes… The same eyes that had seen so much in just one lifetime. She was well-aware of the irony of the situation. She thought that she could play around, and joke with him, like always. But the person before her now was not the same… He was dangerous.

Mirth sparkled in his red eyes. "That's a shame."

He walked out of the room, leaving her alone, to gather her thoughts.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When he came back, a few hours later, she was sprawled on the bed. Kaline had been thinking… About what he said, what he did. She didn't feel like she even knew him anymore. What was going on? She just wanted to know what would become of her.

Not waiting for him to acknowledge her presence, she spoke to Itachi as she would have spoken to anyone. "I want to know what will happen to me, Itachi-san." His face didn't show it, but this annoyed him a bit.

"Hn," He nodded, and crossed the room to pick up a key off the dresser. "Fine. Come with me. We'll see what fate has in store for you."

Without question, she followed him to wherever it was that he was going. They came to a dark blue door with strange markings on it. It was almost as dark as the room she had gone in to speak with their leader, but not quite. There was someone standing in the middle of some kind of platform, or altar.

"This is the Oracle," Itachi explained, to Kaline's mystified look. "She is the one who is behind most of Akatsuki's movements. Leader-sama keeps her here in order to help us predict what course of action we should take. Kaline-chan, this is Kigome-sama. She is our greatest secret."

"…Okay."

She was confused. She'd never heard of Akatsuki using anyone to help them predict the future, or anything of the sort.

Her blue eyes met with those of a girl… She had long black hair, held up with a dark green bow. It was the same shade of her dress, and of this room. Bright green eyes looked almost eerie, as they shined in the light that filtered down through a skylight. Kaline hadn't even known that it was day time.

Lips parted, and an ominous, feminine voice filled the room. "I cannot predict her future at this time," She sounded fragile, like a flower on a cold winter morning. "I will let you know when the time is right."

'_What the hell is that supposed to mean?' _Kaline thought. Normally she would have shied away, scared of confrontation. That is what the old Kaline would do… But she was no longer that person. It was time to show Itachi that she too had changed.

"I never asked you to do so in the first place!"

Itachi was stunned. "Kigome-san, I beg your pardon. She does not know-"

"Understood," The seemingly frail girl turned away from them. "You can go."

'_She seems… sad.'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline was surprised at such a reaction. "Why did you ask her do that?" She waited until they got back to his room before asking her question.

"You will have to go back to your cell, once she decides your fate. Leader-sama listens to her, and I have to listen to him."

'_Why isn't he angry? I was so rude to her… He acts like he doesn't even care.'_

Kigome had been with them for a long time. Itachi almost knew, almost for certain, that she would send the insolent girl to be executed. She was the Oracle, she could so as she wished. But he also knew that unlike many, who would use that power to their own advantage, Kigome had been fair and just up until now with her judgment. He just really didn't want anything to happen to her.

"When I got back from my mission, Leader-sama ordered me to have her see you."

"Why?"

He smirked. "Probably his way of deciding what to do with you… But what she said was unexpected."

Kaline didn't really have anything to add to that. But her stomach did. A fierce growl cut through the silence, staining her cheeks crimson. She hated eating, but she knew that it was necessary.

Itachi left the room, without telling her where he was going. It wasn't something that he would have done, had they actually been on good terms. Well, she wasn't sure what kind of terms they were on at this point. All she knew was that he had left her all alone now. But her whole childhood she had always been used to being alone.

'_Then why does it hurt so much for him to leave me alone now?'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

About half an hour later, Itachi returned to find Kaline sitting on the bed. With nothing to do, she had just been waiting for him, or for something to happen. He had two boxes of food with him.

"I brought you some ramen. I didn't know what kind you liked, so I guessed. Is chicken okay?"

"Actually… I prefer plain ramen, with nothing on it but salt and pepper. But chicken will do," The way she spoke to him so coldly had caught him off guard, and for a brief second, his face showed it. "Oh, but thank you. I'm really hungry."

They ate their meal together in silence. She felt a little weird when he sat on the bed next to her. They had hot green tea to drink, and she gulped it down after her meal nervously. Itachi seemed to merely pick at his food.

'_Could it be that he is nervous too?'_

"Itachi-san," Sasori was at the door, opening it without knocking. "Kigome-sama wishes to speak with you… alone."

"Hn. Next time, knock before entering my room," He glared daggers at the redhead.

"Okay, sorry. …You never had a problem with it befor-" Hazel eyes flickered to the bed, where Kaline sat, waiting patiently. "Oh I see."

Kaline wanted to know what the Oracle had to say. But she knew she had asked to see Itachi alone for a reason.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He stepped into the gloomy room with a stoic look. Itachi knew this was a time when he would have to be serious. He tried so hard to tell himself that he wasn't; that he didn't care what she said. He would have to accept Kaline's fate, no matter what it was. And that was perhaps what scared him the most. No matter what he told himself, he didn't think he would be bale to bear it if something were to happen to her.

'_She should never have come here,' _He thought angrily. _'If only she'd stayed in Konoha… She could have been safe. But it's too dangerous for her here.'_

Apparently Kigome has a different opinion. Her eyes flashed opulent forest green, as she tossed a cloak to him. "This is for the girl. It's different from the others, because she is different from the others. See that she gets it."

"Hn," He nodded, and bowed to her, showing a sign of respect. "Thank you, Kigome-san."

"And Itachi?" She stopped him as he turned to leave. "She dies before you. Keep that in mind… I don't like that girl."

He had only paused briefly, her words making him falter in his practiced, rhythmic step. "And what of me?" He turned, only long enough to ask his question. "When will I die?"

"No, Itachi. I refuse to ever look at your future. It would be too painful for me to even try. I cannot tell you when you die, because I cannot bear to know that. _I am weak_."

There was an ominous slam of the large blue door. He was gone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Here," He tossed it to her.

Kaline stared at the cloak as if it would burn her if she touched it. It looked sort of like an Akatsuki cloak… But it was pink and black, rather than the familiar red and black. The color puzzled her.

"What does it mean?"

"You're asking the wrong one. If the Oracle asks to see her, maybe you can ask her then. She is not to be disturbed otherwise. I couldn't get any answers out of her. She just said that you were different," He shrugged, changing the subject before he revealed too much. "I leave for my mission in three days."

"Am I an Akatsuki member then?"

He nodded. "I suppose that means you are. Wear it with pride. But it's dangerous…"

'_I've never seen him like this…' _Her thoughts were getting the better of her. _'He actually looks… worried.'_

"I understand," She got up from the bed now.

It was awkward for her to be so close to him, after not seeing him for so long. After all, the man did murder his entire clan. Kaline knew it wasn't fair to him, but she couldn't help but be a little bit frightened of that fact. She had no idea what he might do.

"Where are you going?"

"When you leave, I'm going to make a short trip to Otagakure, if you don't mind."

"Why do you want to go there?" He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Is it because of that letter?"

"Letter? What letter?"

'_Oh shit!' _He realized it a moment too late. _'I said too much… I didn't want her to know about that.'_

"Never mind that," Itachi cautioned her with his tone, more than with words alone. "I don't want you going to the Sound Village. It will be too dangerous… Or is there someone… waiting there for you?"

'_What should I tell him?! I have no idea how to answer that!'_ Kaline was at a loss for words.

Her poor mind couldn't take anymore of this. She needed to get away. She'd thought it over, and decided to take Kimimaro's offer to spend some time with him. Despite her sense, Kaline couldn't help but still harbor some feelings for him. And she was human, after all. It was only natural that she want to be physical with someone. Right?

She sighed heavily, staring at the ground. She would have to think this over carefully.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline left for a while to walk around the base. She liked to walk when she had an important decision to make. It helped her think. But right now, she couldn't really focus on what that important decision should be. She didn't have a choice but to join Akatsuki. She had already decided that she wanted to be with Kimimaro. It would be hard to have both, but she could pull it off.

If that was the case, then hadn't she already made up her mind? If so, then why was she hesitating? She put on her cloak, and went back into the room where she knew Itachi would be waiting for her.

"So… Do I get my own room here, or what?"

He was seated on the bed, reading through several scrolls. She peeked over his shoulder to see what they were, but he put them down where she couldn't see what they said.

"It's getting late," he yawned for emphasis. She'd never seen him yawn before, but her eyes were somehow drawn to the place where his shirt was moved up by him stretching his arms over his head. He was surprisingly muscular for being so slim.

Kaline blushed, instantly forgetting all about whatever it was she had been thinking… Something about a room? _'Oh yeah…'_

"Can I… have… uh…"

"Yes?" Itachi smirked knowingly.

"…My own room here?"

"No. There are no other rooms. I already talked to Leader-sama about it while you were gone… You'll be staying here."

Kaline was silent. She just looked at him for a long moment before replying. "In here? With you?"

"That's not a problem…" The weasel smirked. "Is it?"

'_What do I say to that? He isn't leaving me any room to answer!'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: You didn't see that one coming, did you??? Nah, didn't think so. I love this story, but it's kind of weird, I think. Kigome is meant to be a character in another story. I will write it. It crosses over with this one, just a little. Sorry if this is confusing. I promise I have plans for all of this! You never know what to expect from this story. SMEX!!! XD **

**Special thanks to my friend Ashley for inspiring me for this chapter, and the next one. ^_^ She gave me a lot of ideas for Itachi and Kaline. I didn't use a beta for this chapter, b/c I want to see how my new writing software does! **

**-Kaline Reine**


	11. Chapter 11

**Too Late  
Story : 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 11:**This was going to be an awkward night. Kaline could already tell...

Itachi had gone to clean himself up, and she didn't know where the bathroom was, but she really had to go. She didn't want to ask anyone, but she had no choice. He'd been gone for over an hour, and she had to pee, damn it!

Walking out of the room, Kaline made her way down the long hallway to where she knew the Oracle's room was. She couldn't remember how to get back to her cell, but she knew where this room was, and where Itachi's was. She didn't know how to get outside. But she was wearing her Akatsuki cloak now, so it didn't really matter. She knew better than to leave. There was nothing but sorrow and pain for her out there. Here she was safe; she was with Itachi.

"E-excuse me?" She asked the girl, who was seated with her back turned to the door.

Long black hair cascaded off her shoulders, and dispersed from her form like a second shadow. Kigome sat on her knees, on the cold altar that she was made to remain on, no matter what. She never moved from that spot.

"He is in the bathroom," The girl spoke so softly, Kaline almost didn't hear her. Eyes of jade sparkled in the dim lighting from the skylight. "Down the hall, four doors down then turn left. After that you take you go to the second hall and turn right. It's the brown oak door at the end of the hall."

She shuddered._'What a gloomy place the Akatsuki lair turned out to be.'  
_  
Kaline didn't even really question how she knew all of this. Itachi had said that she was an Oracle, so she had accepted that fact without question. And since Oracles were supposed to be the most divine, all-knowing among people, she took her advice. Kaline would never question her savior.

"Arigatou, Kigome-san." (Thank you, Kigome.)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She found the room, right where the Oracle had said it would be. She'd known what Kaline was looking for, but nothing surprised her anymore, really. Kaline found herself hoping Itachi wasn't in there anymore. Maybe he'd gone off somewhere?

When she opened the door, he was still in there. Kaline let out a sigh of relief. At first, she'd thought he was undressed, but he had a towel on, at least.

"You need something?" He asked politely.

The Uchiha was bent over the sink, shaving. It made her want to giggle for some odd reason. It had never really occurred to her that Itachi had to shave to keep his face looking the way it did. To Kaline, it all looked like some beautiful accident. The thought that he actually had to work at it was... unfitting. It didn't match the way that she had always viewed him, but well... That was reality. It always had a way of messing with her mind.

"Yeah, I had to use the restroom."

"Hn," She watched his signature smirk float across his lips. "Help yourself."

Kaline glared at him, irritated. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," He smiled this time.

She pointed to the empty hall. "Out!"

Laughing his ass off, Itachi walked out. Just before she could close the door, he did a massive hair flip, making loose water droplets splatter across her face. He seemed to take delight in her irritated expression, as the bathroom door was slammed.

When she came out, she couldn't find Itachi anywhere. Kaline walked back to the room, not knowing where else to go. It was kind of hard to remember exactly how to retrace her steps but the brunette had done it. Luckily, he was in the room this time, getting ready for bed. That kind of made her nervous, though she wasn't sure why. She felt the butterflies swimming around in her stomach. That same tickling, fluttering feeling she'd gotten the very first time she'd seen Itachi.

_'I've got to stop this... These feelings aren't normal!'  
_  
"Are you wearing that to bed, Kaline-chan?"

She blushed at the way his eyes raked over her form, seemingly sweeping her from head to toe. His expression was that of a person who could see through even the heavy cloak she was wearing. But she knew that was impossible... Or so she dearly hoped.

"I wasn't planning on it," She snapped back. "Unless you want me to."

"Why would I ask you to do that?"

Kaline laughed openly now, at the weird look she got from Itachi. "Maybe you just can't handle me wearing anything less."

The look only got exaggerated even more. The Uchiha's patience was wearing thin. "If you don't mind," He cleared his throat, getting on the bed, and pulling the plain gray covers down. "I'm usually asleep way before now. We have a long day awaiting us tomorrow. We should rest."

She was hoping he wouldn't be so forward about it. _'Since when do I allow someone else to tell me when it's time to go to bed? ...Arrogant bastard.'_

But Kaline decided to play nice for now, and obeyed his orders. Carefully, she unbuttoned the pink and black cloak, laying it in one of the small chairs on the other side of the room. She didn't like sleeping in her bra, and she decided that her comfort was more important than being shy at a time like this. She would be spending the nights in Itachi's bed, and she was going to have to get used to it. There was no way around it, the way he had so blatantly put it.

She pulled both her arms inside her shirt, feeling his eyes on her. Carefully, she slipped each arm out of the straps of her bra, and then ran them back through the sleeves of her shirt. Kaline twisted around, so she could pull her bra around backwards, and reached under her shirt to undo the snaps.

"Hn. Useful trick," Itachi teased.

"Uh... thanks?" She had no idea what to say.

"But it would be even more interesting without the shirt."

Blushing, Kaline climbed into bed, kicking her shoes off along the way. Now all she had on were a pair of pants and a simple black T-shirt with mesh sleeves and a mesh collar, similar to Itachi's. She turned to one side, curling up in a fetal position, and closed her eyes.

She could feel Itachi shift beside her. He placed an arm over her, as if he were trying to shield her from the world.

"Don't worry," He whispered into the darkness. "Nothing will happen to you."

Kaline believed him. Even knowing that she probably shouldn't, that he was dangerous and a killer, she trusted Itachi. He had saved her once, so why not do it again? He wouldn't have saved her then, only to hurt her now! Sighing in contentment, she fell asleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Arise," Was the only word she heard, in her deep sleep.

Kaline's eyes fluttered open, parting from her cheeks like a butterfly spreading it's wings. Itachi tried not to notice how beautiful she looked when she first woke up.

"What?" She whined. "Come on, let me sleep!"

Rolling over and pulling the covers snugly against herself didn't work either.

Itachi's stare hardened. She had to get up. "No. As I said, we have much to do today. Get up!"

"...No!" She crossed her arms stubbornly, still laying in bed.

"Have it your way, then."

Summoning all his willpower to keep himself from doing something dishonorable, the Uchiha made his way down the hall to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of ice water, and took a sip. It slid down his throat, cool and refreshing. His steps echoed in the empty halls, as he went back to his room. A door clicked open, and a familiar blonde man stepped out.

"Morning, Itachi-san," He yawned, heading for the showers.

He bowed his head only slightly. "Deidara-chan."

"It's Dei-san!"

"Whatever. I'm not in the mood."

"What's the matter, yeah?" The former Rock Nin taunted. "Didn't get any of the good stuff from Kaline-chan last night, un? I thought that kind of thing would be easy for someone like you. Don't tell me you're losing your touch!" He laughed like crazy.

"Shut up!" He yelled. Itachi was really angry. It wasn't like him to get so worked up over a joke like that.

"It was only a joke, un..."

The dark, raven-haired man slammed his door, startling Kaline. She tried to play it off, but he had seen her jump slightly under the covers.

_'Hn. Some Kunoichi,'_ He mentally scoffed._ 'I'll get her out of bed, one way or another...'  
_  
He wanted to laugh when he realized the irony that most men would have had trouble getting a girl like her _into _bed, not out of one. Slowly, he began tilting the glass of water above her. Small droplets fell onto her face, running over her cheeks and down her chin.

"What the _hell_?!" She cried, immediately sitting up. "Itachi!"

"Did you really think I would let you sleep all day?" He bent over her, to get in her face, showing his dominance. "Kaline-chan... There are other, more _adult_ ways... I could get you out of bed. But considering how long I've known you, that would most likely be considered borderline-incest, since you're like a sister to me."

She was almost tempted to stay where she was, just to see if he would make good on his threat. But she didn't. With a shiver, Kaline pushed him off of her, and tried to get ready. But then, there weren't any doors leading to another room. And when she was in the bathroom earlier, she'd seen no shower or even a bath tub.

"Is there somewhere... I can get cleaned up?"  
_  
'She got so quiet when I said that to her... I wonder what she's thinking. I hope I didn't-'  
_  
"Itachi-kun!"

"Hn?" He had been so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't even hear her.

"Stop staring at me, and tell me... Where can I take a shower?" She picked up her bra off the chair where she'd thrown it last night, along with her cloak. "Or at least a bath?"

From the moment that classic Uchiha smirk came onto his features, Kaline knew she wasn't going to like the answer. "There are showers here, but... You won't like it. And anyway, you should just get dressed. Because we're going to get really sweaty today. So it would just be pointless to take a shower now, don't you think?"

"I guess..."

She looked at him strangely._ 'Why won't I like it? I don't like the sound of that...'_Itachi was done wasting time. "Come on. We can get some breakfast, and then go train. Just like always. Besides, I want to see what new abilities you've learned."

"I actually haven't learned anything new," She lied. "I was too busy looking after Sasuke-san, and trying to get my life back in order to worry about learning new Jutsu. And I kind of had a lot of missions. I mean, my skill level has improved. But I have nothing new to show you."

"It doesnt matter. We'll train."

He was so insistent about it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They'd spent all day practicing different techniques. Itachi showed her a way he had combined his Sharingan with different kunai and shuriken attacks. It was quite interesting the way he had explained it to her.

Kaline had missed training with him. It was always so laid back and peaceful, not like when she trained with other people back in Konoha, or even in Sound Village, for that matter.  
_  
'Sound Village... Otagakure...' _It reminded her of him. _'Kimimaro-kun...'  
_  
What a time to think of such a person! Kaline was far away from the village she had first seen, when she came to their lands. She rarely even thought of her old home, because now... When she thought of home, she thought of Otagakure. It seemed so natural to her. She didn't even really think about it much.

"Sometimes I wonder if I should go back..." She mentioned offhandedly, when they sat on a huge rock to rest between sparring sessions.

"What do you mean?" A knot tightened in Itachi's throat. But he didn't tell her about it. He couldn't bring himself to stop her if leaving was her choice.

Blue eyes regarded him briefly, before looking off into a clear blue sky, with intensity. "Otagakure... The Sound Village... It's my home. I've tried so long to fight it; to say it isn't... But..."

"I understand," He lied. Itachi didn't understand at all why she would want to leave him. That was when he remembered the note. "But when I was in Konoha last, I came looking for you."

_'Why is he changing the subject?'_"Oh? I'm guessing you didn't find me."

"This is no time for jokes," Itachi warned. "Someone left a note for you. I don't remember exactly what it said, but I understood it was from a lover."

"A lover?" She scoffed. "No way. No one loves me."

"No one loves me either. But that doesn't mean I've never had lovers. Like Chiaki-san... I don't miss her. I didn't love her. But I'm sure if I had left her, she would have only wanted me to come home. She would have done the same for me that this person was doing for you."

Kaline took a moment to think all this over._ 'Shit! He can't mean...'_

"Kimimaro-kun?"

"What?" Itachi looked up at her. He'd heard that name before.

"Nothing," She waved it off, shifting uncomfortably on the granite boulder's hard surface. "Someone sent me a note asking me to come back?"

"Hai. But it was unsigned. It didn't even say what village it was from..." He'd sensed a change in Kaline since he'd told her about the note. "But someone was begging you to come back somewhere and be with them. Who was it?"

_'I can't believe he is asking me this!' _"No one."

"Hn." Itachi decided not to pry into her life any more. "I don't blame you for not trusting me... I am a monster, after all."

"A... monster? Why do you say that?"

He sighed. "I murdered my entire clan. I devastated my little brother. And I screwed up my chances with-" _'With you...'_ He hesitated for a moment, stopping himself. "My chances at having the life that I wanted."

Kaline was silent for a long time. She had no idea what to say to that. "I don't think you're a monster at all. I don't know the whole story, but I know you aren't evil, Itachi-kun. Regardless of what others may say... You're a wonderful person; a tortured soul... Just like me."

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me. Why have we never done this before?"

"Done what?"

"Talked."

She knew the answer. But she couldn't really tell him... It was too personal.

It was Kaline's turn to sigh, and hesitate.

The wind blew his long black hair pleasantly, as he simply listened, and accepted what she had to say. That was something they each knew they would always find in the other; acceptance.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: Yes, I know Kigome is a little creepy. She's supposed to be. Sorry to introduce another OC but I had planned this all from the beginning. This is a weird story, sorry. It's been a long time since I've felt like working on this one. I really don't like it, but I'll continue it anyway. Behold, my most confusing chapter yet! XD**

**I owe BIG THANKS to Maru-sha for helping me come up with ideas for this story. We had an RP and it sort of progressed into some ItachiXKaline stuff and before that I was thinking about giving up on this story. So thanks and YAY! ^_^**

**Also, please vote in the poll that's on my profile page on . I'm going to put new polls every week or so.**

**-Kaline Reine**


	12. Chapter 12

**Too Late  
Story : 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 12:**

After spending the whole day training, Itachi and Kaline had gone back inside. Dinner was served by a weird looking guy in an orange mask. Kaline got to know some of the other Akatsuki members a little better. She did her best to avoid Pein, since he had been so cruel to her before. She didn't like him at all, even if he was their Leader.

Sasori and Deidara were pretty cool, in her opinion. Itachi liked how well she seemed to get along with both of them. Deidara had just finished telling Kaline a funny story about the first time he'd seen Sasori outside of the huge wooden puppet he used for his Jutsu, when more people came in.

There was a guy with gray hair, who carried a big red and silver scythe on his back. Kaline liked his eyes; they were a sort of pinkish purple color. His partner was a man with stitches all over him, but when she looked closer, she realized they were threads. He had a mask over his face, so that was all she could tell about him. His eyes, on the other hand, really creeped her out.

Kaline wasn't sure how she felt about Kisame. She didn't like the fact that he was a shark. She did like that he seemed strong. She didn't like the way he would sometimes look at and talk to Itachi, like he knew him so much better than her or something. She'd known him longer!

Then there was a plant-like man that weirded her out even more than Kisame did. But once she talked to him, she realized that he was harmless... Unless he saw someone as a meal. He was a pretty nice guy. Or at least half of him was.

"Well, we should going," Itachi finally said, much to Kaline's relief.

The girl didn't even argue with him. She was more than ready to get away from these people. She hadn't realized it before, but Akatsuki was comprised mostly of men. She couldn't remember most of their names, even after having been introduced to them at dinner. But that was alright, she would probably be assigned a partner soon, and she would really only be working with that person. So it didn't matter.

She followed Itachi down the halls, thinking they were going back to their room. But he was going some other way.

"Uhm... Itachi-kun, where are we going?"

"To bathe," He kept walking toward their destination, without bothering to turn around and actually converse with her. "You requested a shower earlier, did you not?"

"Hai."

The Uchiha opened a door that led to a big room filled with showers. It looked exactly like the ones in her locker room, back when she was at her old school. There was nothing separating one shower from another. It was all just... Well, one big room. The tile was plain and white.

Kaline was blushing now. She was glad he was facing the other way, and not looking at her.

As if sensing her obvious distress, Itachi turned, shedding his cloak and placing it on a big bench that was in one corner. "I told you that you wouldn't like it."

"Isn't there... somewhere else I can bathe?"

He shook his head no, while pulling hair free from it's red hair tie. "I'm afraid this is all there is. I suggest you get used to it."

She had nothing to say. She just took off her Akatsuki cloak too, and pretended it didn't bother her, no matter how badly it did.

They both kicked off their shoes, and it was awkward. Itachi wanted to give her some privacy, but he knew damn well that if he did that, the other men that worked here might come in. They wouldn't care how embarrassed she was. At least this way, it was a little less dangerous for her, with someone who knew her so well being there with her. If anyone tried anything, Itachi would fight them off.

Staring at the tile that lined the floor and walls, Kaline tried not to watch him, when he took off the rest of his clothes, putting them on the bench right next to her.

"Don't tell me you're really that shy," He made fun of her, then went to shower. "It's not so bad. At least this time, there's no one else here. But really... We should hurry, in case someone else comes in."

When she didn't answer, he added. "Unless of course, you don't mind them joining us."

"That's not funny!" She glared at the stubborn idiot.

And then, as if out of spite, Kaline pulled her shirt over her head. Next came her bra, which Itachi thought he could handle. That was until she removed her pants, revealing the black, lacy thong that she was wearing. Though he could have looked, since she was facing the wall, he tried his best to look away, finding something else to focus on. Yet there was nothing, other than the plain gray and white tiles.

He had already turned the water on, and began to scrub himself down. First, he washed his long black hair.

Kaline was relieved to see that Itachi had his back to her. That made her feel much better about this. At least he wasn't staring at- Their eyes met. Amidst the swirling steam, and the unspoken tension that was clearly there, black met blue and everything stopped for a moment.  
_  
'It's so ridiculous to be afraid of someone like him!'_ She thought. _'Even if he did kill his clan... So what? That doesn't mean he is a rapist too! This is Itachi. My savior. He would never hurt me.'_Confidently, Kaline walked over to another shower. She turned on the water, and let out a yelp, immediately regretting it. When Itachi laughed, she flipped him off. "Screw you."

"Do you really think it's wise to say such things to me?"

"Like I give a shit. You're just Itachi-kun. No big deal. I've known you a long time. You would never hurt me."

Itachi smirked. He could tell when she wasn't being completely honest about something. "Awfully confident for someone who was blushing a few minutes ago..."

He had to keep his thoughts from wandering. And if talking or even arguing amongst themselves would help, then he would do it. He took a deep breath, and tried not to think about her naked body too much. He wished the water were cooler... An ice cold shower was said to be good for calming down someone's sex drive...

As if reading his mind, she spoke up about that too. "This water is too hot!"

"So are you," He took his time, letting his eyes roam down over her body, completely exposed to him for the first time. He regretted it as soon as he had done it. Not because of her body; it was to die for. But because she had immediately tensed up. And she was looking right at him!

Her eyes narrowed in his general direction. "Cool it." She growled, through clenched teeth.

_'Hn. Something tells me she doesn't mean the water...'  
_  
"I wish I could," Was all he said, in reference to both.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Finally, the torture was over! Itachi had made it through their shower without molesting the poor girl. And said girl had made it through their shower without being molested by Itachi. Kaline took a deep breath, and put her clothes back on. She tried to pretend that she was all alone, and that it was completely normal. But it was so hard to do that, when the person who was supposed to be invisible kept talking to her!

Kaline was so glad she didn't have to deal with it any more. It was over, for now. But then tomorrow they'd have to take another shower and- She just was not liking this at all! (A/N: Yeah right!)

Everything was done for the day, and she could finally rest. Itachi led the way back to their room, since she still didn't know which one was his. She thought about asking if she could sleep somewhere else. But the more she thought about it, the less she liked that idea. She was in an unfamiliar place, full of murderers. There was no way she could even fall asleep without at least somethign familiar being around her. And for now, Itachi just happened to be that familiar thing... At least, until she got used to this place.

He was unusually quiet tonight. Itachi always had some kind of comment to say to her, but ever since they'd left the showers, he had completely shut up.

"Itachi-kun, are you okay?"

"Hn. I'm fine."

She had a feeling something was really wrong. But she didn't dare to ask.

Once they made it back to the room, he slammed the door and locked it. Itachi was full of sexual tension, and this was not helping. Ever since he had killed Chiaki, he hadn't taken anyone else to his bed. That led some people to the conclusion that he had cared for her. They were wrong, but he just went along with it, for the most part.

"Oyasuminasai..." (Good night...)

"Yeah, you know... It's still early," Kaline protested his want for rest. "I never go to bed this early! Do we really have to-"

"Just shut up. Please. I have a headache."

"A-alright, sorry..."

_'He's never been this hostile to me before. Did I do something wrong earlier?'  
_  
Kaline was tired of thinking about it. She got into bed, even before he did, opting to just sleep in all her clothes. She was feeling a little insecure tonight.

Itachi had known her long enough to know when he had upset her. He instantly felt bad the moment those words had left his mouth in such a harsh manner. But he couldn't allow anyone to know what an emotional mess he really was. Not even his closest friend.

The lights were clicked off, and the two Shinobi lay together, sleeping soundly.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline woke up in the middle of the night. She felt something warm and soft near her face and neck, and something harder pressing against her chest. Her eyes opened sleepily to see that Itachi had pulled her close to him in the night.

He hadn't tied his hair back up into it's ponytail, and it was draped halfway over her face. She started to move it, but decided she liked it better there. And if she moved, it would probably disturb the sleeping Uchiha. Her body was pulled against his chest, and he was holding her close, in a death-grip. Obviously he was not planning on letting her go any time soon...

When morning finally came, Itachi was awake before Kaline. He stretched, and gently pulled himself from beneath her. Their legs had become tangled during the course of the night. She woke up when he legs were moved.

"Nnnn-huh?" She mumbled something sleepily upon waking.

"I have to leave for my mission today," He was already straight to the business-talk, like always. He was halfway dressed, and just need to fix his hair and grab his cloak.

"But it's so early!" Kaline whined. She rolled over, pulling the covers over her face.

Itachi wondered if she were always like this in the morning. "You can sleep. I didn't mean to wake you... When you do get up, go see Pein-sama. You should ask him about a partner, and a mission. He'll get you set up. I should be back before the week is up."

"Hmm? Leaving... mission... Pein?" She was snoring after that.

He decided to leave her be. She was cute when she slept. "Goodbye for now..." Before she could do anything about it, he peeled back the covers, just enough to kiss her forehead. "Oshii Ichi." (Precious one.)

Kaline smiled in her sleep, and Itachi made his way out of the room, with his Akatsuki cloak slung over his shoulder lazily.

On his way out, he was relieved that no one was awake yet. '_Just a little further to the exit, and I'll be in the clear,' _He thought.

The long-haired blonde man walked down the hall with a cup of coffee. He rubbed his sleepy blue eyes, as he passed Itachi.

"So I see the Kunoichi chick is still sleeping with you, un. What does that mean, yeah?"

"Deidara, so help me I will kill you, baka!" Itachi blushed, and noticeably flinched, trying to control the urge to kill.

The bomber giggled. "No need to be so shy about your little girlfriend. I'd tap that, yeah..."

Itachi glared at him, hard. "You will _not_ touch her!"

"Whoever said I was talking about _her_, hm?"

The taller, darker man felt a slight pinch in his arse's general vicinity.

_'He did not just pinch my butt,'_Itachi tried to convince himself. _'Tell me that was NOT just Deidara's hand on MY ass!'  
_  
He chased Deidara through the halls, with the blonde man screaming and crying. "It was a joke, a _JOKE_, un!!!!!!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once he had gotten his revenge, Itachi met up with Kisame, who was already waiting just outside the base. They needed to get this mission over with. He hoped Kaline would be okay while he was gone. Chances are, the others would befriend and take care of her, but he couldn't really be sure.

But right now, he had a job to do. It was their goal to capture the Kyuubi. And fortunately, the Oracle had told Akatsuki just where they would find him. She gave them the name of the small village that he was training in, with the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. She was even able to tell them precisely what room he would be in, at which Inn. Kigome had told them both what time they should be there, exactly. But she could not tell them the outcome. Never the outcome.

"Remind me again," Kisame grunted. "Why the hell do we have to listen to that Oracle anyway? She's just a foolish girl."

"It doesn't matter. Pein-sama has given us our mission, and we have to complete it. Why question that?"

The blue man shrugged, and they continued on their way.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline knew she was all alone. She vaguely remembered Itachi leaving, saying something about a mission and Pein... It was slowly coming back to her.

And something else was there, too. There was something... floating around the frayed edges of her mind, as her consciousness awoke.  
_**  
"Oshii Ichi..."**_He had said.

The words whispered back to her, as if from a dream... She'd heard them before, but she couldn't remember where. She attempted to straighten her brunette locks, before rolling unceremoniously out of bed.

She was a mess. Changing into fresh clothes, she used Itachi's comb on her hair, knowing he wouldn't mind. She remembered him saying about talking to Pein, and asking for a mission and partner. She didn't want to, but really, what choice was there?

When she opened the door to walk out, Deidara was standing there. His eyes were just a shade darker than hers, as they studied each other closely. She still wasn't sure what to think of him and the others, yet. After Itachi had beat the crap out of him, he'd given the blonde man a task. And it involved Kaline.

"Are you ready to go talk to Leader-sama, un?"  
_  
'What's with that weird way he talks?'_ She had wanted to ask him that for a long time, but kept quiet. Maybe she'd finally find out, but she doubted it.

"Uh... Yeah, I guess..."

She followed him to the room she had first been brought to, ironically enough by him and his partner, the first day she was here. History had a way of repeating itself. They went into the small room, and this time the lady with the blue hair, Konan was her name if Kaline remembered correctly, wasn't there.

"What can I do for you, Kaline-san?" Pein didn't even look up from the paperwork he was doing.

"Y-yes... I'm here to ask you..." She looked at Deidara for guidance, and he just shrugged. "To ask you for... for a new room, a partner, and a mission?"

His piercings glistened in the dim lighting, as he laughed at her request. "I hate to inform this, but there are no more rooms. Itachi-san is the only one with enough space for you to really be comfortable in. He has no valuables; no possessions like the others. As for a partner... I'll see what Konan-chan can do about that. I should have a mission for you in a few hours. Come back around two o' clock this afternoon, and we'll talk. And where is your Akatsuki cloak?"

"It's i-in my room. I'll go get it!"

"Yes, see that you do... Other than that... Dismissed!"

Deidara and Kaline offered him a slight bow, before going back into the hall. The blonde guy was laughing hysterically at her.

"What's so funny?"

"Looks like you're still going to be stuck with Itachi, yeah! Hahaha!"

She glared at him. "Fuck off."

"You're almost as mean to me as Itachi-san is..." He pouted. "Well he gave me the task of making sure you do everything you're supposed to do. Getting a new partner, and a mission to go on. But he didn't say anything about changing rooms, un. He must_ like_ you being there with him..."

Kaline ignored every word he said. She heard him, but chose not to react. She went back to Itachi's room, which was apparently hers too, and grabbed her cloak off the chair where it had been discarded.

When Deidara followed her in, his eyes widened, and he started giggling, even more than before. "Oh my god, un!!! You're sharing _a bed_ with him too?! Even I didn't know that, yeah!"

"Shut up," She was already leaving again. "I'm going to train or something until I go back to talk to our Leader again."

"Seriously, un? You should probably eat something. If he sends you on a mission, you might not get to eat for a while. It depends where you go."

"I'm a Kunoichi. I know that. Baka."

Deidara followed her to the kitchen. They didn't have much, but she chose a bowl of cereal as her breakfast/lunch. It would probably have to hold her over for dinner too. But she was used to not eating much, so sometimes she would even forget to eat. It didn't take her long to finish two bowls of it.

"You're going to follow me to my training too?"

The blonde was walking behind her, out to the place in teh woods that she and Itachi had trained at last time. "Yeah, un. I kind of promised Itachi-san that I would keep an eye on you when I can. I sort of... screwed up, yeah."

"How is that?" She settled on a particular spot, and started a series of kicks.

"I grabbed his ass..."

That earned him a weird look. Kaline was looking at him like he was totally crazy. She fell down at the end of her kick. Then she burst into laughter. "Why the hell did you- Oh that is too funny!" XD

"It was just a joke, un. He seems really protective of you, yeah."

"Hey, where is your partner? That Sasori guy?"

"He's getting ready to go on a solo mission, un. I guess I'm staying here. He told Leader-sama he didn't need me for this one."

"I see..."

_'Some Ninja this guy is... It's hard to believe I was afraid of him at first!'  
_  
Kaline had fallen, but she dusted herself off, and began a series of punches, aimed at a straw bag which was tied to a tree for this purpose. She didn't feel like really talking to anyone, so she kept training until it was almost time to go see Pein.

"So... do you like him, yeah?" Deidara asked, when they both sat down to rest before her mission. He hadn't even trained with her, all he did was watch and look around boredly.

"Like who?"

"Itachi-san."

This had caught her off guard. She blushed, and jumped up immediately. "Well, it's time for me to go. See you later, Dei-kun."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: One flaw I know this story has is that Tobi and Sasori are both there. But oh well... I don't like how this chapter started out, but I guess I can't be too picky. This story is so close to being over... I think it will be less than 20 chapters long. Probably even shorter than that. Thanks to those of you who are actually reading this, though. It's been a really long time, and I've been dying to update! This chapter has been done for a while. But they were working on the site. I'll have more udpates for you soon. ^_^**

**Oh and the shower thing... Was a random idea I had. I know how baths really work in Japan, and I know it's much different from other places, and they don't really have showers but... let's pretend they do. I could imagine something this being in Akatsuki, you know, since they have so many people. So... Yay for things not making sense!!! XD I'm evil. :P I couldn't resist putting just the little bit of ItaDei yaoi stuff in there, too... Poor Dei... And poor Itachi's butt. :(**

**-Kaline Reine**


	13. Chapter 13

**Too Late  
Story : 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 13:**

"Glad you could make it on time," Pein reassured the timid girl, when she walked back into his office.

This time Konan was there. "Most of our members are late for everything... Except Sasori-san." She explained.

"Yeah... Well about my partner, and my first mission?"

"We don't have a partner for you," Konan told her, point-blank. "Everyone here already has a partner, except for Tobi-san. But he is just a cook. And as far as we know, he's pretty lame as a Ninja, so you'd be better off on your own, anyway."

"I see. Does this mean I'm not an Akatsuki?"

"Not at all," Pein took over, with Konan standing at attention, beside his desk. "You are accepted as a member. You'll just be doing solo missions until we find you a suitable partner. We may assign you to complete missions with other members, from time to time."

Kaline was starting to lose her patience. She hated when people didn't just get straight to the point with her. "Okay, so what about my first mission, Leader-sama?"

He smirked, and handed her a small scroll. "In there, you will find the specific details. It's a simple assassination mission, to test your skill. I think you should be able to pull it off. It's difficult, but for a true Akatsuki member, it should be no problem. You don't have a time-limit, and you are not to come back until the person on that scroll is killed. And I want proof of their death. Dismissed!"

"Hai, I understand."

And she was gone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once Kaline had packed a few supplies, and her Ninja kit, she left the base. She didn't say goodbye to anyone, just left. She assumed there were people coming and going from here all the time. So this should be no problem.

Some people might have been lonely traveling alone. But not Kaline. Really, she was relieved that she wasn't going to have to work with anyone yet. She was more of a solitary person anyway. She didn't work well with others. Most often, all they did was get in the way. So she had taken her orders with a secret inner happiness, though she would never reveal it.

She waited until she was far away from Akatsuki to open the scroll. She needed to know which direction she should take. The guy on the scroll was not familiar to her. He was a skinny man, some Lord of some other country, not a big deal. He had a small mustache and beady little black eyes. All in all, he was ugly. He had a really big hat though. He looked important.

_'No one will miss looking at his face, that's for sure...'  
_  
She groaned when she realized she would be going all the way to Tea Country for this. How annoying...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Itachi hadn't expected this at all. On the second day of their mission, they had found the Kyuubi container. But someone else had shown up to interfere. Sasuke, his little brother. They had somewhat of a showdown in the tiny hall at the Inn.

Kisame had been warned to stay back, if something like this should occur. As usual, Itachi was cold and heartless and prepared for anything. He made short work of his younger sibling, smashing him up a great deal in the process. Naruto had been scared, so badly that capturing would have been really easy... If not for that damn Toad Sage showing up at just the precise moment.

They had been smart about that, too. Itachi had hired a girl to seduce him, keeping him well away from the Inn. But she wasn't a good enough actress, and he didn't fall for it at all. They had to run in order to keep their lives. There was no shame in that... Well, not much anyway.

"Glad that's over with..." Kisame laughed heartily once they were sure they had outrun the Konoha Nin. "Want to stop at an Inn, or a brothel, maybe?" They were already in the next town over.

"No." Itachi glared at his stupid partner as hard as he could.

"What's your deal, Itachi-san?"

"I just want to get back to Akatsuki and rest."

The shark sneered. "We could do that at an Inn... Or better yet, a brothel. It's probably been a while since you've been with a girl, ne? Oh, wait... It's not because of that Kaline girl, is it?"

"Don't be ridiculous," The Uchiha was getting annoyed with the other Ninja very quickly. "Alright, well... If you're so intent on staying, then stay, Kisame. I'm going back."

Kisame just laughed at the poor fool, and wandered off on his own. Itachi went his separate way from the shark-man, not caring in the least what the guy did. He just wanted to go back.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kaline's mission hadn't been too difficult. She ran into a few problems, but nothing major. The Tea Lord was assassinated, as ordered. She wasn't sure exactly how she should present evidence to Pein of the man's death.

That was one of the problems. The body was heavily guarded, even once it had destroyed. He had died from "unexplained natural causes" as far as anyone knew, thanks to her Ongaku no Takai no Jutsu. No one had a clue how he had died. She could kill from a close range, or from far away if she so desired. It was impossible to get close to this man, with all his guards and such.

Getting a piece of him to take back with her was the hard part. She had managed to sneak in to the burial chamber, where his body was being prepared for some sort of funeral pyre. Apparently that was what they did with their dead here.

"Now to get his head, and take it back to Akatsuki..." She whispered. No one was around.

Or so she thought. "You won't be taking anything anywhere!" It was a guard. Oh shit.

She ran as fast as she could, tossing the whole body onto her shoulders, instead. It was gross, but the kill would have been for nothing if she couldn't prove it to Pein. That was what he'd said.

"Stop, get back here!"

Luckily, no one else had heard him. They weren't expecting any kind of enemy attack.

Kaline was in the forest, on her way back to the base now. It was far, but she had to deal with it. She tried everything she knew to get away, but this guy seemed to be an expert tracker! He hunted her down quickly, and soon she came to a large rocky cliff. There was no way up. There was some foliage growing on top, and vines hung down from it's crevices. Grasping one of them, she made her ascent, desperate for any chance to escape. She did not want to die here.

In her haste, the Kunoichi hadn't had time to close her weapons pouch properly. She couldn't let go of the body. But her kazoo, and all of her equipment fell down, just in front of the angry man's feet.

Her had managed to grab her ankle. "Let me go!" She kicked at him, but that didn't help at all.

She fell to the ground, landing unfortunately on top of the body she had been carrying. The man grabbed her, and slammed her against the rock cliff. She struggled, but couldn't do any jutsu without her weapon.

_'What am I going to do?!'  
_  
Just when she was starting to really panic, a strange blue light surrounded her. It was calming, and soothing... But it seemed to hurt the man who had grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. She looked down, to see that it was coming from the necklace.

"What-"

"Ah!" He jumped back as if burned. "She's a demon!" He screamed, and went back to get reinforcements. Or maybe he was just running for his life, she couldn't tell.

Kaline picked up the crystal pendant, and held it up to her face to look at it. It was now glowing a dull blue, and the light was gone.

"Wow... useful..."

She gathered up her weapons and Ninja gear, before packing them securely into her bag. Then, she decided to just take the whole body with her anyway. Climbing up the cliff, she began to go as fast as she could, in case that guard was still chasing her. The man she had killed was dead, so what was the big deal? She had a mission to complete. And nothing was going to stand in her way.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Itachi had made it back to the base rather quickly. He met up with Deidara, right away. He told him that Kaline had her first mission, but no partner. He just smirked, and went to his room. In a way, he was relieved. He didn't really want her having a partner... Though he wasn't sure why.

"Where ya going, un?" The blonde smiled at him knowingly.

"To relax... Perhaps for a shower."

After his shower, he was on his way back to his room, when he ran into the blonde man again. His hand was on the doorknob but the other man stopped him.

"I just wanted to tell you they sent Kaline-chan on a mission, un. She had to go to Tea Country… They wouldn't give her a partner, yeah."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I don't know. Leader-sama said they didn't have a partner for her right now, un. I guess it's no big deal… She doesn't have a room either. She can stay with me, un. Unless you… like her, yeah?"

Itachi looked at him angrily. No one crossed the Uchiha, and Deidara full well knew it. So why was everyone acting this way? They shared a bed. So what? They had no other choice! He would be lying if he said that he didn't at least think of Kaline in that way. But he could never do anything like that to her… could he? He would have to be careful not to let anyone know of his feelings. No one could know that he really did care for her.

"It isn't like that, Deidara-san. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm very tired from my mission," He pushed past him into his room, and locked the door. Then, he thought better of it and unlocked it, in case Kaline made it back early.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That night, the Akatsuki base seemed dead quiet. Kaline was almost afraid of going in such an ominous place without her weapons drawn. She hoped everything was okay. She was back from her mission half a day early. She would have finished it sooner, if not for that stupid guard following her back. But that could not be helped.

She dragged the body into the Leader's office. He wasn't there, but Konan appeared to be taking the night shift.

"How are you able to stay awake like that?" She asked curiously.

"I sleep during the day. That's why I'm in and out of Pein-kun's office," The blue haired lady admitted, offhandedly.

Kaline had always pictured the two of them as somewhat of a couple, sleeping together and such. So it surprised her, but she didn't say anything. She took the man who was slumped over her shoulder, and slammed the dead body down on the tiled floor.

"There is your proof. What do I do now?"

The woman's eyes were wide. "I don't… think… Pein meant for you to bring back… a whole body!" She looked kind of scared, but regained her composure quickly. "A personal artifact, or a cloth soaked in blood would have sufficed. But… You have the day off to rest now. We'll call you if you get another mission."

"What about a partner, and a room?"

"Did we promise you one?"

"…No."

"Then that should answer your question. Go to bed. You're still in Itachi's room, as far as I know."

Kaline sighed in annoyance. Why were they doing this to her? "Thanks…" She left, letting the door slam itself behind her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was a dark and cold night. Itachi woke up when he felt something moving on the bed. He activated his Sharingan. It was a female form.

"Kaline-chan?"

"Hey," She smiled and crawled into place next to him, resting lightly on his outstretched arm. She was too tired to care at the moment. "I got back from my mission early."

"I see that. How was it?"

The girl just nodded. "I'm really tired…"

"Don't you want to sleep in something comfortable?" He turned toward her, watching her curl up on her side, and wince in pain.

"I'm too tired to care."

Itachi gently ran a hand under her shirt, from the back. He felt Kaline stiffen, as he unfastened her bra. She blushed bright red, but luckily he couldn't see it. He then moved down to her feet, and removed her shoes. The air was thick and heavy with the scent of blood.

"Your clothes… They're covered in blood. You can't wear these in my bed."

"I don't have anything to change into anyway."

Itachi chuckled wickedly. "Then sleep naked, like I do."

"You have boxers!" She lightly hit him in the arm, giggling. He could tell from Kaline's voice that she was blushing.

"If you have enough strength to hit me, koi… Then you have enough strength to change your clothes. Sit up."

Itachi pulled her up, and removed her shirt. She fought him, but in the end he was stronger, and pulled it over her head. He yanked her pants off while she was busy grabbing a sheet to cover herself with.

"Itachi-san! Stop it!" Her voice was borderline-serious this time. She was so embarrassed.

"What's the big deal? We've already showered together. Chill out."

He got up and tossed her a shirt. It was too big for her, but it was a cold night. She would need it. All she was wearing was a one of Itachi's shirts and a pair of panties. Small ones at that!

"I've… got to go," He stated hastily, racing for the bathroom.

Itachi went inside and slammed the door. He had a problem he needed to take care of, quickly. _'Before it causes me more problems than I can handle…'_ He thought.

Taking his length from his boxers, he stroked the hard appendage. Caressing his balls, he paused to fondle at the tip, before letting out a small moan. He lowered himself onto the floor, leaning his back against the door, and trying to relax. He didn't want to do this, but he couldn't help it. He knew she would wonder where he went. Just like clockwork, she was at the door, tapping lightly.

"Ita-kun? Are you okay?"

His hand moved over himself, and he called out in a strained tone. "Y-yes… I'm– agh!– fine. Just g-go back to bed." He hissed, as his pace became erratic. He had to finish himself off now.

Though he knew she was there, he couldn't stop touching himself. He hadn't taken a lover since he had killed Chiaki. Kaline wouldn't leave him. She had sensed that he was in pain. She didn't understand what was really going on behind the closed door.

"No, I've…" She tried to think of an excuse. "I have to go too. I'll wait until you're done."

_'Yes, that's it…' _He thought. _'Keep talking… Use that beautiful voice of yours to– to bring me closer.'_

"Mhhmmm…"

Itachi shivered. He was so close to release.

"What was that? Itachi-kun? Itachi?!" She tried the door again, knowing it wouldn't work.

"Nnnnh… Yes…" His hand moved faster and faster over the long, smooth flesh. "I'm o-ohhhh-kay…"

"Alright…"

She just waited. In a few minutes she heard a loud moan, and instantly turned bright red. _'Is he…? Oh my god!'_ It finally clicked what he had been doing. Yeah, she should have left him alone. Too late now.

Itachi used some tissue to clean up his mess, and quickly got off the floor, pulling his boxers up. It would be so difficult to face Kaline now. She had caused this, and she would know it, if she ever found out. But he had to have release, before he did something he would regret. He knew that a girl like her would never sleep with him. She was too fragile, and too innocent.

Little did he know what flashed through her mind, as they passed in the small hallway. Neither said anything, only looking down at the floor. Kaline just followed him back to the room. She had lied, and he knew she lied, so why hide it? He lied to her too, and she knew it. He knew she knew it. And she knew he knew she knew it. But that was just way too confusing. So they both went to sleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: I meant for this story to be over already, but it's just kind of dragging on. Oh well. It'll end when it ends, I guess. There needs to be more adult stuff! First mission: Kaline goes to Agrabbah and kills Jafar... Oh, LOL!!! I kill me. ****And I blame Kisame, Deidara, and the others for putting evil thoughts in Itachi's head!**

I now have my own forums here on . The link is on my profile page under forums. I'm trying to use them again, since they've updated. Well, I would really like it if people voted in my polls on my userpage here... If you have time. I try to make a new one every week or two. Thanks for reading, and plese review! Gee, I'm demanding today. Just have fun, how about that? :P

**-Kaline Reine**


	14. Chapter 14

**Too Late  
Story : 0112  
by Kaline Reine**

**WARNINGS: This may not be suitable for minors. There is adult content, rape, language, violence, gore, and other things. You've been warned. This is an OC fic, meaning it is mainly about an original character.**

**Based on a true story.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Kaline, since I am her. While most of this is based on real events, any resemblance to any real people you might know is purely coincidental. Names have been changed, and some people were replaced with characters from Naruto. I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Chapter 14:**

Though she felt herself wrapped in Itachi's arms again, this was not a very good day for Kaline. And already she could tell, because something long, hard, and well… manly, was pressing into her thigh. She really wanted to move, but she didn't want to wake him up or freak him out. But she couldn't just stay there either!

Itachi whimpered in his sleep, and ground against her. She gasped at the surprising contact, and the way it sent electricity through her. Kimimaro always had morning wood. She guessed he did too.

_ 'No, this is wrong… Itachi is my savior. He's saved me more times than I can count. It's not right for me to think of him in that way. And I am spoken for. Kimimaro will come for me, I am sure of it. I'm meant to be with him, not Itachi.' _

But she was so lost in thought, she failed to notice the pair of glowing red eyes looking at her in fear.

"Sorry…" Itachi mumbled, moving off her.

Kaline let out a small sigh of relief. "That's… alright."  
_  
'Awkward moment.'_

She reached her arms over her head, and stretched, before remembering that she was only in his shirt. She caught Itachi looking at her, and licking his lips, before forcing himself to turn away. Kaline blushed, and covered herself.

"Are you two up yet, yeah?!" Deidara said in a panicked voice. He was banging on the door, repeatedly.

"Hai," Itachi opened the door, embarrassing her even more. But he was too concerned about what the problem was right now.

"Leader-sama wants to talk to you… Both of you, un."

Itachi stepped out into the hall, leaving Kaline temporarily. Deidara giggled when he saw the man's problem. "Looks like someone's having some fun, ne?"

"Deidara, shut the fuck up. You have no idea…" He sighed, closing his eyes, and falling back against the wall, slightly. "She's driving me crazy! I can't have her… But I want her."

The blonde smirked. "Then take her, un. That's what I'd do."

Itachi would never do that. But he nodded, not wanting to insult the man. It seemed like such an easy answer to his problem. And yet, he couldn't… could he?

"Get a life, Dei-san!" Growling angrily, he pushed his way past the annoying hyper blonde, and down the hall to their Leader's office.

Kaline didn't know what it was about, but for Pein to send Deidara running down the hall screaming for them to go to the office, it must have been important. She grabbed a fresh change of clothes out of Itachi's dresser. She had no other choice. She didn't have anything to wear at the moment.

The orange-haired man waited patiently for Itachi and the girl to come to his office. He made sure to look as serious as possible.

"Kisame-san is dead."

"_What_?" Kaline asked. "How can this be?" She didn't know him that well, but… He looked strong, from what she could tell. She wondered how Itachi would take this news. And apparently, Pein did too because he looked at him.

"Hn. How did he die?" The Uchiha was very calm.

"Apparently," Leader took a deep breath. He was hoping neither of them would ask this question. "While he was staying at a brothel, one of the women there… Ended up drowning him in a toilet and stealing his wallet."

Itachi was silent.

Kaline looked at him. He looked sad._ 'What a lame way to die…'_ Was all she could think. "Wait, he was a shark, right? How can a shark drown?"

"He wasn't literally a shark," Pein explained. "He was just… Born with certain abnormalities, and his kekkei genkai, just like most Ninja are. And anyway, he could only have breathed underwater if he had seen it coming. This attack was unexpected."

She didn't say so, but even this made her feel a little bit bad for not having a kekkei genkai, or bloodline limit, of her own. She was from the "real world", not from any of the Ninja Villages. Itachi had made her feel better about this, when he and his family had taken her in. It almost her want to cry… They had been such nice people, and the very one she had grown to love more than the others had to be the one who killed them all! She couldn't take it, and began to cry.

Itachi did not cry, he merely stood there, looking a bit sad. "Thank you for informing us, Leader-sama. Do I have a mission?"

"No," Pein watched as the nukenin led the young girl out of the room, holding her while she wept. "But one more thing… You and Kaline-san will be partners now. That should make things easier."

"Hai, thank you Leader-sama."

Itachi didn't even sound like himself. His voice was dry, and dark. No one else was in the hallway, as they made their way back to the room. He needed to get Kaline calmed down. He wasn't that upset about it. I mean, Kisame was his partner, but it was only a business relationship, and nothing more.

He gawked at her, surprised at her tears when they made it into the bedroom. "Kaline-chan, why are you crying like this? You didn't even know Kisame-san."

"I know," She sniffled. "But he was your partner and… I was thinking of how unaffected by it you were. And then I thought about your family, and how they– I mean how you– You killed them!" Leaning on his shoulder, she continued to cry even more. "And they were such nice people… Always so kind to me!"

Kaline knew this wasn't helping make Itachi feel any better. His eyes grew even more sad, if that were possible. Being reminded of killing his family, right after losing his friend. It had to hurt.

"He was nothing to me. Kisame-san was a business partner and nothing else. I feel bad about what I did to my family… They were, well, family."

"I understand. I know you just did what you had to, but… They were such nice people!" She began sobbing again.

"Shhh…" Not knowing what else to do, Itachi found himself putting his arms around the girl, as they sat on the bed together. She clung to him, needing to be comforted right now.

"I feel so bad… that my tears are not for your friend. They're for your family, instead. I feel like such a heartless person."

"Don't. It'll be alright."

Kaline continued to cry for a while, until she felt exhausted from letting so much sadness take control of her. Her blue eyes had washed away to a dull gray color. Itachi saw that, when finally he looked at her. Their eyes met, and it was strange. She felt like everything would be okay. She was calmer, more collected than she had been before.

That was when she realized he was using the Sharingan on her. She gasped, and flinched, looking away out of fear.

Itachi reached for her. "What is it?"

"Y-you… You were trying to-"

"I was calming you. I would never use my powers to harm you. You should know that."

He looked hurt, she noted. Kaline did her best to forget about it. But for the few minutes that she did feel calm, she also felt… scared. She felt like she should be afraid of this enormous power that he possessed. It made her feel small and weak. Like she had to be calm or something bad would happen. She didn't like it. But he was only trying to help.

After a few more minutes of silence, Itachi got up to leave. If he didn't leave, he was going to end up doing something he regretted… Like attack her.

"Where are you going?"

"To get us some breakfast. We just got up, and all this bad news isn't something we should deal with so early in the morning…"

While he was gone, Kaline had a little more time to think. But that was the last thing she wanted to do. She lied in bed, wanting to feel numb right now. She was so tired of living this lie. This was not her.

She was a Sound Ninja. She knew that now, more than anything. And just because some Leader told her she had to be Itachi's partner, did not mean that she had to stay an Akatsuki member! She was free to leave any time she wanted to… right? When Itachi came back, she would ask him. At that moment, the door opened.

"Cereal? I didn't know we had that here."

"Hn," He nodded, giving her a bowl and keeping his own. "It's all we have in the base at the moment. Someone will be sent out for supplies today."

After they ate in silence, Kaline asked him what she had been dying to know for a long time now. "Itachi-kun, I've been wondering… Can I leave the Akatsuki?"

Inwardly, the Uchiha panicked. "Leave?" He waited for a long moment before answering her. "The only way to leave Akatsuki is to die; either to be killed in the line of duty, or if anyone tries to leave us… They are killed."

"Then why is Orochimaru-san still alive?"

"What? How do you know about him?" Itachi's eyes narrowed. Orochimaru was his former partner, after all.

"I… You know I'm from Sound Village. Remember?"

"Hai."

They decided, by silent agreement, to stop discussing the matter further. Itachi knew that Kaline was thinking about going back to Sound. Even if she didn't say so. It was on her mind. And he was sure of it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They spent the entire day together, just trying to get their minds off what happened to Kisame. And more than that, Itachi's family. Kaline still remember the Uchiha massacre. The day that it happened had been the day she felt broken inside. It was horrible. And then she'd gone to find the one person who could answer all of her questions. Only he had left anyway, deserted her just like everyone else in her life had.

Her father had left her in the care of her mother, who had done nothing but abuse her all of her life. She was never allowed to leave; she had felt trapped there… Just as she was now trapped in the Akatsuki. But the difference was… At least now, no one was abusing her.

They made it through their day, training with each other. It was a lot like old times, back in the Leaf Village. It was peaceful and carefree. Kaline knew Itachi hadn't answered her question from before, about how it was Orochimaru had survived leaving the Akatsuki. But she dropped it, not really caring for the cold snake Sannin too much anymore. She still missed him, but she knew that was only because he had saved her. And now Itachi had saved her even more. That was how she felt about it, anyway. Looking up to the strong Shinobi beside her, she knew that he was her savior; her protector. She had never admired anyone more than him.

Around lunch time, they had sensed some chakra coming from just behind them. It was only a flicker, and then it was gone. Like someone trying to hide their chakra; masking it.

Itachi crouched down, kunai in hand, getting ready to attack whoever it was that had been spying on them. A light giggle was heard, and a certain blonde man jumped out of the bushes, followed by a stoic looking redhead.

"Okay, alright, un! You caught us!" Deidara yelled.

"Shut up," Itachi glared at them. "What were you two doing out here?"

It was finally Sasori's turn to say something. "We wanted to see what you and kaline-chan were up to… out here… you know, all_ alone_."

"Are you suggesting something?" His glare deepened.

"Not at all. Just thought we'd see why you are always alone together like this."

"Yeah, we're not intruding, are we, un?"

"No," Kaline wasn't comfortable with what they were saying. "We're just training. You can even join us if you want."

"No they can't," Itachi argued.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: Forgive me for killing Kisame. I don't like him that much. :\ And it was sort of for the plot… I originally intended to have him drown somehow. But I wasn't sure how it would happen. I like the death I came up with for him, lol. I tried to stick to my plans as best as I could with this fic, but it gets harder and harder. I forgot what I had planned so some of it is just made up now.**

-Kaline Reine


End file.
